Study finds up to 30% of India's cotton area under unapproved GM hybrids

Study finds up to 30% of India's cotton area under unapproved GM hybrids

A field study commissioned by the Federation of Seed Industry of India and the National Seed Association of India found that 24 to 30 per cent of India's 114.8 lakh hectare cotton area in 2025-26 was sown with hybrids carrying genetically modified traits the government has not approved. Testing of samples from Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan found widespread presence of the unapproved herbicide tolerant cp4-epsps gene and the insect resistant Vip3A gene, neither of which is authorised in Indian cotton.