Barring Pakistan, there has been no development on the genetically modified (GM) crops front in South Asia this year.
According to the USDA, there was no regulatory or policy development for biotechnology research and development in Bangladesh.
In India, there has been confusion about the regulatory domains of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
In Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives, GM crops are not allowed to be cultivated. On the other hand, Pakistan allowed the commercial cultivation of GM sugarcane and advanced GM varieties of cotton in October.
Pak permits GE canola, soy
The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, Inc (ISAAA Inc) said Pakistan’s National Biosafety Committee (NBC) approved commercial cultivation at its 35th meeting.
Besides, in November 2025, the NBC authorised imports of genetically engineered (GE) canola for food, feed, and processing. GE soybean import licenses have also been renewed by Pakistan’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for another year, the USDA said.
Referring to India, the USDA said the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, mandates the regulation of GE food products, including processed foods.
“However, GE food product approval was deferred to the GEAC until the regulations under the FSSAI and the operational infrastructure are established. In November 2017, the Supreme Court of India directed the FSSAI to regulate GE food,” it said.
Locked in Indian apex court
With the FSSAI working on the second draft of the Food Safety and Standards (Genetically Modified or Engineered Foods) Regulation, issued in November 2022, the GEAC will remain the apex regulatory body for GE plants and animal products entering the food chain.
The Indian government has so far approved only Bt cotton for cultivation, while permitting imports of vegetable oils derived from GE soybeans and canola.
Though the GEAC received applications for the import of DDGS (distillers’ dried grains with solubles), soybean meals, and processed food products with GE or GE-derived components, their approval is pending. This is because FSSAI is still working on regulations and the infrastructure, it said.
Despite the regulatory clearance for Bt brinjal in 2010, and a locally developed GE mustard event in October 2022, a decision is pending clearance from the Supreme Court in an ongoing case challenging India’s Biotech Regulatory System since 2004, said the USDA.
Slack Bangla development
On July 29, 2024, the GEAC recommended allowing imports of alfalfa hay (including GE) from the United States, subject to other statutory clearances, but a formal government notification is still pending, it said.
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on May 4, 2025, that the country developed two genome-edited rice varieties by research institutes affiliated with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
On July 23, 2024, the Supreme Court bench directed the Indian government to evolve a national policy on genetically modified crops, covering research, cultivation, trade, and commerce in the country, by conducting a national consultation with stakeholders.
In Bangladesh, the biotechnology policy “is at a standstill”. As a result, there has been no development on biotechnology R&D or for its implications for environmental biosafety.
Golden rice waits nod
“Additionally, regulatory authorities have made no changes to operationalise the biosafety framework, nor to expedite the approval process for biotechnology-related applications,” it said.
Although vitamin A-enriched Golden Rice has been awaiting regulatory approval for seven years in Bangladesh, rice scientists continue advancing innovative genome editing techniques to develop rice varieties resilient to both biotic and abiotic stresses, it said.
“The uncertainty surrounding government approval for Golden Rice, delays in the approval process due to the limited capacity of the government’s biosafety regulatory authority,” it said.
Scientists at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) are awaiting approval to import seeds as research samples and to initiate multi-location confined field trials for two Bt eggplant varieties, said the USDA.
Due to a lack of project funding, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) is unable to carry out field demonstrations of the Bt eggplant variety.
Gains for US
“After a year-long delay, the National Committee on Biosafety (NCB) has finally approved the third round of multi-location confined field trials for 3R gene potato events,” it said.
On the other hand, Dhaka’s National Institute of Biotechnology (NIB) has developed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for contained testing of drought and salt-tolerant rice varieties and is currently awaiting NCB’s final approval to use the SOP in testing.
The USDA has looked into gains for US farmers from the GM policies of the South Asian governments. In the case of India, it said: “The US-India bilateral trade in food, agriculture and related products in 2024 totalled $8.6 billion, with the balance of trade skewed nearly 2.6-to-1 in India’s favour.”
US exports of products derived from GE crops are mostly cotton ($209 million) and soybean oil ($37.5 million), it said.
In the case of Pakistan, pointing to Islamabad’s decision to allow imports of GE soybeans and canola, it said soybean imports are expected to further rebound to 2.4 million tonnes during 2025-26.
Published on December 19, 2025
Christeen Schewe
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