
General Motors to invest $4 billion in three US vehicle production facilities
said on Tuesday it is planning to invest about $4 billion over the next two years at three U.S. facilities in Michigan, Kansas, and Tennessee to expand production of several of its most popular vehicles.
The company said it will begin production of gas-powered full-size SUVs and light-duty pickup trucks at its
Orion Assembly
plant in Orion Township, Michigan, in early 2027. Orion Assembly was previously slated to build electric trucks.
GM's
Fairfax Assembly
plant in Kansas is set to start building the all-electric
Chevrolet
Bolt by the end of this year, and will also build the gas-powered Chevrolet Equinox starting in mid-2027.
In a statement, the company said it expects to make "new future investments in Fairfax for GM's next generation of affordable EVs."
At its Spring Hill, Tennessee, plant, GM will add production of the gas-powered
Chevy
Blazer beginning in 2027. It will be built alongside the electric
Cadillac
Lyriq
and
Vistiq
SUVs as well as the gas-powered Cadillac XT5.
The gas-powered Chevrolet Equinox and Blazer are both currently produced in Mexico. The vehicles will continue to be built in Mexico even once production starts at U.S. facilities in order to supply markets outside of North America, according to a company source.
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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
‘In its conclusion phase…': India-US mini trade deal coming soon? These sectors may be excluded as Donald Trump's tariff deadline nears
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Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Indian agriculture's prospects depend on innovating and adopting genetic tech
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The cotton seed oil is consumed by humans, although some scientists suggest that the oil does not carry the protein that the seed has. Earlier, even poultry feed, such as soya and corn, was also imported — this was GM. So, one thing is clear — it would be wrong to claim that GM food has not been in our food chain. It has been there for quite some time, mainly through cattle or poultry feed. Vajpayee envisioned that science could transform agriculture. He extended the original slogan of 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' (salutation to the soldier and the farmer), given by Lal Bahadur Shastri, to include 'Jai Vigyan' (salutation to science). The results were dramatic. Cotton production surged from 13.6 million bales in 2002–03 to 39.8 million bales in 2013–14 — a phenomenal 193 per cent growth. Productivity shot up by 87 per cent (from 302 kg/ha to 566 kg/ha), and cultivated area expanded by 56 per cent, with Bt cotton dominating. Farmers' incomes soared, and Gujarat even witnessed an agrarian boom — the state averaged over 8 per cent annual growth in agri GDP. By then, India had become the world's second-largest cotton producer after China and the second-largest exporter after the US, hitting $4.1 billion of net exports during 2011-12. Since 2015, however, India's cotton story has hit a roadblock. Productivity gains have not only flattened but even dipped. The yield has slumped from 566 kg/ha in 2013-14 to around 436 kg/ha in 2023-24 — far below the global average of approximately 770 kg/ha, and way behind China's nearly 1,945 kg/ha and Brazil's around 1,839 kg/ha. This decline is commensurate with a roughly 2 per cent average annual drop in cotton production since 2015, driven largely by pest outbreaks like pink bollworm and whiteflies, tangled regulations, and a prohibition on next-generation cotton seeds such as herbicide-tolerant (HT) Bt cotton. HT-Bt cotton, engineered to survive glyphosate spraying, never received official clearance in India —trials by Mahyco-Monsanto were suspended over a decade ago, and no approval has followed. Despite this, the seeds have leaked into farms across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Punjab. Industry bodies and surveys estimate that illegal HT-Bt covers 15–25 per cent of cotton acreage. This illegal spread reflects farmers' desperate response to technology and pest attacks. Yet, because these seeds are unregulated, farmers risk crop failure with no recourse, and legitimate seed suppliers are undercut by a shadow economy that harvests their brand names without accountability. The rise of illicit HT-Bt cotton underscores a deep disconnect between regulation and reality. While the government blocks commercialisation citing ecological and health concerns, the seeds continue to spread — unchecked and untested. Since 2015, government intervention in private seed contracts has emerged as a major challenge to innovation in India's cotton sector. The Cotton Seed Price Control Order (SPCO) of 2015 slashed Bt cotton seed royalties dramatically, rendering research and development unappealing. By 2018, trait fees had shrunk to a mere Rs 39 per packet — far too low to entice biotech firms to invest in new seed technologies. In 2016, additional regulations mandated that GM trait licensors transfer technology within 30 days and capped trait fees at 10 per cent of MSP for five years, with further annual cuts thereafter. By 2020, these restrictions tightened even further, deterring global biotech players from engaging in India's cotton industry. India was poised to lead the gene revolution and serve as a major seed exporter to Asia and Africa. However, policy inertia — from 2003 to 2021—driven by activist and ideological opposition, deprived farmers of potential gains. 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The future of agriculture belongs to technology adopters and innovators. Prime Minister Modi's slogan — 'Jai Anusandhan' (hail innovation) — is inspiring and is backed by an ambitious Rs 1 lakh crore RDI (Research, Development and Innovation) fund. But real progress needs commercial deployment of advanced biotech: Ht Bt cotton, Bt brinjal, GM mustard, and even GM soy and corn. From plate to plough, India's future depends on embracing gene technology. As Vajpayee often said, what IT (information technology) is for India, BT (biotechnology) is for Bharat. It can bring prosperity in rural areas. Gulati is Distinguished Professor and Juneja is Research Fellow at ICRIER. Views are personal


News18
11 hours ago
- News18
GTRI Cautions Against Imports Of GM Farm Products From US; May Affect India's Agri Exports
Agency: PTI GTRI says allowing the import of GM products such as soybean meal and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) for animal feed would affect India's agricultural exports to EU. Economic think tank GTRI on Saturday cautioned that allowing genetically modified (GM) farm products from the US under the proposed trade pact would have implications for India as it may affect the country's agri exports to regions like the European Union. India and the US are negotiating an interim trade pact, which is expected to be announced before July 9. The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said that allowing the import of GM products such as soybean meal and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) for animal feed would affect India's agricultural exports to the European Union (EU), a key destination for Indian exporters. DDGS is a by-product made during ethanol production, usually from corn or other grains. The EU has strict GM labelling rules and strong consumer resistance to GM-linked products. Even though GM feed is permitted, many European buyers prefer fully GM-free supply chains. India's fragmented agri-logistics and lack of segregation infrastructure make cross-contamination likely, risking trace GM presence in export consignments, GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava said. 'This could lead to shipment rejections, higher testing costs, and erosion of India's GMO-free image, especially in sensitive sectors like rice, tea, honey, spices, and organic foods. Without robust traceability and labeling systems, GM feed imports could hurt India's export competitiveness in the EU," he said. For instance, the BT gene from the bacterium Bacillus Thuringiensis enables the plant to produce a protein toxic to certain pests. Other genes, including those from soil bacteria, have been used to make crops resistant to herbicides, he said. He added that while GM crops are biologically plant-based and function as vegetarian food, the fact that some contain genes of animal origin means they may not be acceptable to communities or individuals that adhere strictly to religious or ethical definitions of vegetarianism. Srivastava further said research suggests that GM DNA is broken down during digestion and does not enter the animal's meat, milk, or produce. 'Therefore, foods like milk or chicken are not classified as GM, even if the animals were fed GM feed. However, critics argue that this blurs the line for consumers who wish to avoid GM-associated products entirely," he said. On whether seeds harvested from genetically modified crops be reused for future sowing, he said GM seeds are generally not reusable due to legal and biological reasons. 'They are patented and sold under contracts that prohibit saving and replanting. Even if reused, many GM crops are hybrids, and their saved seeds often perform poorly. In India, Bt cotton is the only approved GM crop, and while farmers have tried reusing its seeds, results are substandard," he said. Further, he said the risk of contamination remains a concern worldwide. Srivastava said that GM and non-GM crops can intermingle at various points in the supply chain, especially during transport, storage, or processing. He added that in India, the current policy is relatively conservative and only one GM crop – Bt cotton – is approved for cultivation. 'No GM food crop is commercially cultivated, although experimental trials are ongoing. Import of GM soybean oil and canola oil are permitted," the GTRI said adding imports of GM grains, pulses, oilseeds, fruits, and similar food/feed products are not allowed. GM feed materials such as soybean meal and DDGS are currently banned.