Genetic engineering, GM crops, and how biotechnology is applied across agriculture, medicine and industry in India.
Genetic engineering involves directly manipulating an organism's DNA — inserting, deleting, or modifying genes — to produce a desired trait. This underlies technologies ranging from recombinant DNA technology (used to produce insulin and vaccines) to modern gene-editing tools like CRISPR-Cas9, which allows far more precise and efficient editing of genetic sequences than earlier methods.
Bt Cotton, engineered to resist bollworm pests, is currently the only GM crop commercially approved for cultivation in India. Other GM crops, notably Bt Brinjal and GM Mustard, have faced regulatory and public debate, and remain contested or not commercially approved, reflecting broader concerns around environmental impact, biosafety, and farmer autonomy.
GM crops and biotech products in India are regulated primarily through the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, which assesses environmental and biosafety risks before granting approval.
Beyond agriculture, biotechnology underpins much of modern medicine — vaccine development (including India's significant role in vaccine manufacturing), diagnostic kits, and therapeutic proteins — as well as industrial applications like biofuels and enzyme-based manufacturing processes.
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