Biotech Updates

India Boosts R&D of GM Veggies

July 17, 2009

India has been making a progress on the research and development of genetically modified  (GM) vegetables and is likely to release GM veggies in the next three years for commercial production. The Minister of State for Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Prof. K.V. Thomas informed the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India, that the production of GM vegetables has not yet been commercialized in the country but research and development work is in progress. 

In the recent years, India has experienced a tremendous success with doubling cotton production after the commercialization of Bt cotton hybrids in 2002. India climbed to become fourth largest adopter of biotech crop in the world in 2008 with Bt cotton hybrids occupying 7.6 million hectare equivalent to 82% of the total cotton area in 2008. A record 5 million small and resource-poor farmers planted Bt cotton in 2008. India Bt cotton adoption was 4 times the global adoption rate of biotech crops – 150 fold increase in adoption in seven years (2002-2008).

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Department of Biotechnology (DBT) approved several projects for developing GM varieties in tomato, brinjal and cauliflower. The transgenic lines are in various stages of development at different institutes and will be released for cultivation after clearance by the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) and Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC). He also informed the house that the target for next three years has been fixed primarily to release and popularize the GM varieties in some of the major vegetable crops. In addition, Bt brinjal hybrids developed by the private sector company Mahyco which has also generously donated Bt brinjal technology to three public sector institutions, is at the advanced stage of regulatory development and is under consideration for commercial release in 2009.

A detailed response Research on genetically modified vegetables in progress to the Parliament of India (Lok Sabha) is available at http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=50364 For more information about biotech development in India contact: b.choudhary@cgiar.org and k.gaur@cgiar.org.