Modi Government Streamlines Halal Certification Process Amid Protests from Hindutva Groups

In a move aimed at boosting meat exports from India, the Narendra Modi Government has streamlined the Halal certification process for meat products, despite ongoing protests from certain Hindutva elements.

These groups have long opposed the concept of Halal certification, citing religious concerns related to the Islamic method of animal slaughter, which involves invoking the name of ‘Allah.’

The government, through the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), issued a notification titled “Streamlining of Halal Certification Process for Meat and Meat Products” on October 1, 2024. The new guidelines stipulate that specified meat products will be eligible for export as Halal-certified to 15 countries, including 13 Muslim-majority nations, provided they are produced or packaged in facilities certified under the India Conformity Assessment Scheme (I-CAS) – Halal of the Quality Council of India (QCI). Exporters will be required to present a valid Halal certificate to the importing countries after shipment.

This decision comes in response to the growing global demand for Halal products, with the Halal food market projected to reach $3.9 trillion by 2027. Several non-Muslim countries, including the Philippines and Singapore, now mandate Halal certification for meat imports, further emphasizing the economic potential of this sector.

Interestingly, despite the religious nature of the Halal certification process, a significant portion of India’s Halal meat exports are managed by Hindu business owners, while the slaughter process itself is overseen by Muslims in accordance with Islamic law.

Halal certification, which ensures that the meat is slaughtered in a manner permitted in Islam—by cutting the throat, esophagus, and jugular veins—is required by many Muslim countries. This process differs from the Hindu practice of ‘Jhatka,’ where the animal is killed with a single blow to the neck.

Opposition to Halal certification has been strong in some parts of India. In 2023, the Uttar Pradesh government declared the process “confusing and unenforceable” under the Food Safety and Standards Act.

The UP government also launched legal actions against several Halal certification bodies, including Halal India Private Limited and the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Halal Trust. The trust has countered these actions, calling the allegations “baseless” and vowing to pursue legal remedies.

With the Modi government’s new policy in place, attention is now focused on how political figures like UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other Hindutva leaders will respond to the changes.

The move to streamline the Halal certification process is expected to spark further debate on the intersection of religious practices and economic policy in India.