India has never allowed import of GM products, will never open dairy sector: Piyush Goyal (File photo) New Delhi: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said India has never opened its dairy sector to foreign players under any free trade agreement and will not allow imports of genetically modified (GM) products. He described both as highly sensitive issues for the country and said the government would continue to protect farmers, fishermen and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in trade deals. Addressing students at Kirori Mal College in Delhi, Goyal said India has "never ever" compromised on sensitive sectors while negotiating trade agreements. "We are very sensitive to opening up to certain agricultural produce, certain goods that we are very strong on like marine products. We are very sensitive to opening our dairy. In fact, till date, we have never opened up dairy for anybody. "We are very sensitive not to allow any GM products to come to India and we have never allowed it and we'll never allow it in the future. We are sensitive to our religious sensitivities. So very often in foreign countries, they use calf meat or Rennet while producing their dairy products. We don't allow that in India. It is strictly got to be certified...so that religious sensitivities of the large parts of India are not hurt," he said while responding to a question on trade agreements. Rennet is an enzyme traditionally obtained from the stomach lining of young calves and is used in cheese-making. Goyal said India's focus is on creating new opportunities for farmers, MSMEs and other domestic producers through trade agreements, particularly in sectors where the country is competitive. "Our effort is to unlock new opportunities, new employment opportunities, new opportunities for our produce where we are competitive and where our larger part of India, our MSMEs, our agricultural farmers, everybody can benefit in a big way," the minister said. The remarks come at a time when India is negotiating trade agreements with several countries, including the US. Dairy and GM products remain sensitive areas in these discussions as they involve farmers' interests, food safety, environmental concerns and religious considerations. Goyal said India is also looking to secure better market access for sectors such as textiles, pharmaceuticals, agricultural products, and gems and jewellery. He explained that the government wants Indian goods to face lower import duties in foreign markets than products from competing countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and the Philippines. "So these are all our offensive interests, where we work to get preferential market access. Where duties imposed on goods from India will be less than from our competing nations like Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Philippines," he said adding, "Our effort is how do we get India a preferential rate over our competitors". The minister also said the government is working to promote manufacturing and create more employment opportunities. He urged students to consider entrepreneurship and startups as career options, pointing out that these areas are opening up new opportunities. Goyal said India is targeting USD 1 trillion in exports of goods and services in the 2026-27 financial year. Between April and September 2026, the country's exports stood at around USD 480 billion, registering growth of nearly 14 per cent compared to the same period last year.