A central point of contention for India is the cultural and religious sanctity of the cow. In India, dairy products from cattle are integral to daily life and are used in a wide range of religious ceremonies and rituals. The use of non-vegetarian components in cattle feed, such as blood, bone, and meat meal—a common practice in industrial US dairy farms—is a direct violation of the religious norms of Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs. Importing products from cows fed in this manner would deeply offend the beliefs of a large segment of India’s population who use dairy products for pious ceremonies and as part of a vegetarian lifestyle.

Beyond the cultural aspects, India’s position is also based on a significant lack of transparency in US food labeling. Current US regulations, overseen by agencies like the FDA and USDA, do not require dairy producers to disclose whether their cows are fed animal-derived ingredients. This regulatory gap poses a serious threat to Indian consumers, as they would be unable to make informed choices based on their religious and cultural beliefs. In a market where such information is not required unless voluntarily disclosed, India’s government views importing these products as a violation of its citizens’ right to dietary transparency.

The economic implications are equally critical. The US dairy industry benefits from heavy government subsidies, with the USDA spending billions of dollars in subsidies and relief payments over recent decades. These substantial subsidies give US producers the capacity to sell their products at prices well below the cost of production, which would severely undercut the livelihoods of millions of small-scale Indian dairy farmers. This kind of competitive pressure from heavily subsidized imports would be a “sure recipe for disaster” for India’s domestic dairy economics, jeopardizing an industry that forms the backbone of its rural economy.