Indian farmers may grow world’s first gene edited rice variety this winter
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is expected to sign a memorandum of understanding with a US-based agribusiness firm that holds a license for CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology
The arrangement is expected to enable a new gene-edited rice variety to be grown by Indian farmers as early as this winter cropping season
This follows India's earlier release of its first genome-edited crop varieties, both in rice, developed using indigenous gene-editing tools
The move reflects a broader global pattern of public agricultural research institutions licensing foundational CRISPR-Cas9 intellectual property from private patent holders for crop improvement work
CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing — Mechanism and Regulatory Categories
CRISPR-Cas9 is a genome-editing tool derived from a bacterial immune mechanism, using a guide RNA to direct the Cas9 enzyme to a precise DNA sequence, where it creates a targeted double-strand break; the cell's own repair machinery then fixes the break, which can disable, tweak, or (with added template DNA) insert genetic material.
Key Details
- The technique's foundational discovery earned Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- Regulatory treatment in India depends on the editing category: SDN-1 (small random deletions/insertions at the cut site, no foreign DNA), SDN-2 (precise edits using a DNA template, no foreign gene retained), and SDN-3 (insertion of foreign/transgenic DNA)
- SDN-1 and SDN-2 products are treated as functionally similar to conventionally bred or naturally occurring variants since they contain no foreign DNA
Whether the upcoming rice variety qualifies as SDN-1/SDN-2 (lighter regulatory path) or involves elements closer to SDN-3 affects the approval pathway it must follow — a key distinction UPSC often tests when comparing genome editing to GM crops.
India's Genome-Editing Regulatory Framework (2022 Reforms)
In April 2022, India's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change exempted SDN-1 and SDN-2 category genome-edited plants from the biosafety assessment otherwise required under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 Rules of 1989 (the "Rules for Manufacture, Use, Import, Export and Storage of Hazardous Microorganisms/GMOs," 1989).
Key Details
- The Department of Biotechnology issued Guidelines for Safety Assessment of Genome Edited Plants on May 17, 2022
- SDN-1/SDN-2 products bypass Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) biosafety clearance and instead fall under the jurisdiction of the Seeds Act, 1966, following the same two-year multi-location trial process required for conventionally bred varieties before commercial release
- SDN-3 products, which contain foreign/transgenic DNA, continue to be regulated as GMOs, requiring full GEAC biosafety assessment
- Regulators rely on the Institutional Biosafety Committee to certify the absence of foreign DNA before a genome-edited plant proceeds down the lighter regulatory track
This 2022 regulatory exemption is precisely what made India's rapid rollout of genome-edited rice possible, and will likely govern the approval pathway for the new Corteva-linked variety as well.
India's First Genome-Edited Crops — DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1
In May 2025, ICAR released India's first genome-edited crop varieties — both in rice — making India among the first countries to develop and approve genome-edited rice using indigenously developed CRISPR tools, ahead of a Corteva-licensed variety.
Key Details
- DRR Dhan 100 ("Kamala"), developed by ICAR's Indian Institute of Rice Research (Hyderabad), edits the CKX2/Gn1a gene in the Samba Mahsuri background to increase grains per panicle, giving up to roughly 19% higher yield while maturing about 20 days earlier and reducing water use
- Pusa DST Rice 1, developed by ICAR's Indian Agricultural Research Institute (New Delhi), edits a gene in the MTU1010 background for drought and soil-salinity tolerance, showing yield gains of roughly 9.66% to 30.4% in saline/alkaline soils under field trials
- Both varieties used SDN-1/SDN-2 category editing and were developed with indigenous editing constructs, avoiding dependence on foreign-held CRISPR patents
The Corteva-linked MoU represents a distinct pathway — licensing globally patented CRISPR-Cas9 IP rather than relying solely on indigenous tools — which could broaden the range of genes and crops ICAR can target, but also introduces IP/licensing considerations absent in the Kamala/Pusa DST releases.
CRISPR-Cas9 Intellectual Property Landscape in Agriculture
Foundational CRISPR-Cas9 patents for agricultural use are held by a small number of entities, including the Broad Institute and large agribusiness companies that hold sub-licenses; public research institutions in the Global South increasingly negotiate long-term or humanitarian-use licenses to deploy the technology on staple and orphan crops without infringing this IP.
Key Details
- Comparable arrangement: The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) secured a long-term license from Corteva and the Broad Institute for CRISPR-Cas9 use in crops such as chickpea, pigeonpea, groundnut, sorghum, and millets
- The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has separately obtained a royalty-free, non-exclusive license from the Broad Institute and Corteva for CRISPR-Cas9 use in its rice R&D
- Such licenses typically permit research, development, and deployment of improved varieties for smallholder farmers, distinguishing "humanitarian use" licensing from commercial biotech deals
The expected ICAR-Corteva MoU fits this established global pattern of public agricultural research bodies licensing CRISPR-Cas9 IP to legally deploy gene-edited varieties, rather than being a wholly novel arrangement.
- 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for CRISPR-Cas9: Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna
- India exempted SDN-1/SDN-2 genome-edited plants from GEAC biosafety review: April 2022 (MoEFCC); DBT safety guidelines issued May 17, 2022
- India's first genome-edited crop varieties: DRR Dhan 100 "Kamala" and Pusa DST Rice 1, both rice, released May 2025
- Kamala: ~19% yield increase, matures ~20 days earlier than parent Samba Mahsuri, targets CKX2/Gn1a gene
- Pusa DST Rice 1: yield gains of 9.66%-30.4% in saline/alkaline soils, based on MTU1010
- Comparable licensing precedent: ICRISAT's Corteva-Broad Institute CRISPR-Cas9 license, covering chickpea, pigeonpea, groundnut, sorghum, and millets
- SDN-3 (foreign DNA insertion) genome-edited crops remain regulated as GMOs under GEAC in India