Roundtable Calls for Science-Based Regulatory Reforms to Accelerate Safe Adoption of GM and GE Crops in India

The Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS) in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII), organized a high-level Roundtable on "Reforms in Regulations and Approval of Genetically Modified (GM) and Genome-Edited (GE) Crop Plants." The event brought together >80 participants including policymakers, agricultural scientists, regulators, industry leaders, economists, and international experts, to deliberate on modernizing India's agricultural biotechnology regulatory framework.

Dr M.L. Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, who presided over the event, appreciated the collaborative initiative in bringing together all key stakeholders for a constructive dialogue on an issue of national importance. He reiterated ICAR's steadfast commitment to advancing science-led, evidence-based agricultural innovation and emphasized the need for a balanced regulatory system that facilitates the safe deployment of modern biotechnologies to achieve food and nutritional security, climate resilience, and sustainable agricultural growth. The Roundtable was co-chaired by Dr. R.S. Paroda, Chairman, TAAS, and Dr. M. Ramasami, Founder Chairman, Rasi Seeds (P) Ltd.

India established a comprehensive multi-tiered regulatory framework for transgenic crops under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Rules, 1989, today the regulatory ecosystem involves multiple competent authorities, including Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBSCs), the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), ICAR and other concerned ministries and state governments. Nonetheless, rapid advances in genome-editing technologies, including CRISPR-CAS based systems, evolving global regulatory practices and the growing need for climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture necessitate a review and modernization of India's regulatory framework for GM and GE crops. While India has introduced a differentiated regulatory approach for certain categories of gene-edited products, further reforms are required to improve clarity, harmonization and predictability across the regulatory system. The Roundtable meeting was held to develop a roadmap for efficient approvals of GM/GE crops intended for the national needs, ensuring regulatory efficiency and biosafety standards.

In the inaugural session of the meeting, Dr. Paresh Verma, Director General, FSII, gave the welcome address, while Dr. Bhag Mal, Secretary, TAAS, set the context by underscoring the urgent need to modernize India's regulatory framework in view of climate change, food and nutritional security, sustainable agriculture, and rapid advances in biotechnology. The inaugural session featured keynote lectures by Dr C.D. Mayee, President, South Asia Biotechnology Centre (SABC), on the imperative for regulatory reforms; Dr. Rhodora Romero-Aldemita, Executive Director, ISAAA Inc., spoke on global developments and harmonization of regulatory frameworks; and Mr. Graham Brookes, Agricultural Economist, PG Economics Ltd., UK, presented evidence on the economic benefits of GM and genome-edited crops worldwide.

Two Technical Sessions, moderated by Dr Ashok Singh and Dr Rajvir Rathi, facilitated focused, evidence-based discussions, enabling participants to arrive at a broad consensus on major regulatory reforms needed to make India's biotechnology regulatory system more efficient, transparent, science-based, and globally competitive.

Participants noted that while India has developed robust scientific capabilities and over three decades of experience in biosafety regulation, the regulatory framework must evolve to keep pace with advances in biotechnology, particularly genome editing, while maintaining the highest standards of biosafety and environmental protection. The Roundtable called for a science-based, transparent, efficient, and risk-proportionate regulatory framework with streamlined, time-bound approval processes accessible to both public and private innovators. It also emphasized that timely adoption of safe GM and GE crops is vital for enhancing climate resilience, productivity, nutritional security, farmer incomes, and the global competitiveness of Indian agriculture.

Dr. M. Ramasami stressed that an efficient, transparent, and predictable regulatory system is essential to translate scientific breakthroughs into technologies that benefit farmers, strengthen India's seed sector, and enhance the country's global competitiveness in agricultural innovation.

In his remarks, Dr N.K. Singh emphasized the need for enhanced funding by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), establishing accredited laboratories, and developing a comprehensive national policy on biotechnology.

In his concluding remarks as Co-Chair, Dr. R.S. Paroda observed that India possesses the scientific expertise and institutional capacity to become a global leader in agricultural biotechnology. He emphasized that the recommendations emerging from the Roundtable should serve as the basis for modernizing India's regulatory framework and creating an enabling policy environment that promotes responsible innovation while safeguarding human health, biodiversity, and the environment. He further stressed the need to review existing multiple guidelines to simplify testing procedures.

The recommendations emerging from the Roundtable will be consolidated into a comprehensive policy document for submission to the concerned Ministries and regulatory authorities to support evidence-based reforms in the regulation and approval of GM and genome-edited crop plants in India.

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RC/MS