Piyush Goyal rules out dairy market opening and GM imports in any trade pact

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday ruled out opening India's dairy sector through free trade agreements, and said genetically modified (GM) products would stay out of the country's import basket. He told reporters the government would not give ground on sensitive farm segments or the interests of farmers, whatever the negotiating pressure.

Goyal framed the position as a long-standing principle rather than a new stance. He said India's trade deals have consistently shielded farmers, fishermen and micro, small and medium enterprises, and that dairy and marine products need special handling. In his telling, no trading partner has ever been given access to India's dairy market, and that will not change in future agreements.

The minister also pointed to religious considerations in dairy imports. He noted that some cheeses are made with calf-derived rennet, an enzyme traditionally taken from the stomach lining of young calves, and argued that certification rules are needed to respect religious sensitivities. India's import rules already bar products derived from animals fed with animal-based material, a detail that matters given how much commercial interest the United States has in both dairy and GM farm goods.

The stance carries weight beyond the negotiating table. Analysts have long warned that cheap GM crops from highly mechanised and heavily subsidised farm economies could depress domestic prices and squeeze rural incomes. Food safety, environmental risk and the protection of local industry are also politically charged, which makes any concession on these fronts a difficult sell at home.

Goyal paired the defensive message with an offensive one. He said India wants preferential market access in labour-intensive and export-ready sectors such as textiles, pharmaceuticals, agricultural products, and gems and jewellery. The goal, he said, is tariffs on Indian goods lower than those levied on rivals such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and the Philippines. He also urged young job seekers to consider entrepreneurship and startups as the government pushes manufacturing and public-sector hiring.

For farmers and traders, the message is clear: dairy and GM products remain off the table in trade talks, and India's bargaining will focus on gaining tariff edges for exporters. Full coverage of the remarks is available at the original Tribune India report.

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