Niti Aayog's Paper Called for Lower Agri Tariffs

A paper on US-India farm trade by Niti Aayog, now withdrawn, suggested a selective lowering of tariffs to the country's advantage, including on genetically modified (GM) soyabean and corn, apart from creating liberal domestic farm markets, a key provision of the farm laws repealed by the Modi government following a backlash from farmer unions.

- Zia Haq & Vrinda Tulsian

The paper, authored by economists Ramesh Chand and Raka Saxena, acknowledged challenges posed by Trump's reciprocal tariffs announced in April, but identified areas where India could gain while recommending reforms to enhance acceptance of Indian produce in the US. It was first uploaded on the think tank's website on May 30, and withdrawn in the following week.