Gov. Kim Reynolds, Iowa Delegation Return to India on 2025 Trade Mission

By Robin Opsahl

Gov. Kim Reynolds has returned to India with a delegation from Iowa this week, following up from trade discussions that began during her first visit in 2024.

Reynolds had first visited India with Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority Director Debi Durham and Iowa agricultural and business leaders, for a 10-day mission in September 2024. She and other state leaders discussed trade opportunities with business and government leaders between Iowa and India in areas like biofuel, commodity crops and agricultural technology.

The governor is joined by many of the same Iowans, including Naig and Durham, on this year’s trip, which kicked off Sept. 6. The eight-day trip includes visits to Delhi, Pune, and Mumbai.

In a news release, the governor’s office stated the purpose of the trip is to “build on relationships established during an initial visit a year ago and to further explore growth opportunities with one of the world’s largest emerging economies.”

“Our visit to India last year kicked off a number of relationships between Iowa and Indian businesses and trade associations and furthered conversations on investing in Iowa and market access for certain Iowa agricultural products,” Reynolds said in a statement. “I look forward to further solidifying those relationships and establishing new connections on which to build.”

Reynolds and Naig gave remarks Monday at DialogueNEXT, a symposium hosted by the World Food Prize Foundation, which is based in Des Moines. At the event, Reynolds told attendees that Iowa farmers “produce 10% of America’s food supply with less than 1% of its population” — and that the state is a center for innovation in both agriculture and energy production.

“From precision agriculture and biotechnology to renewable fuels and soil conservation, we are constantly working to improve yields, protect the environment, and make food systems more sustainable,” Reynolds said in her keynote address. “And we recognize that food security is inseparable from energy security. Iowa leads America in renewable fuels production. Ethanol and biodiesel provide affordable, clean energy that supports farmers while helping countries like India diversify their energy sources and reduce emissions.”

Reynolds said India plays a vital role in building food and energy security, saying “by combining Iowa’s agricultural innovation with India’s scale, talent, and growing market, we can create new pathways to feed the world.”

The governor also met with the Sehgal Foundation, an Indian nongovernmental organization focused on sustainable agricultural practices.

The trip, organized by IEDA with support from the U.S. Embassy in Delhi and Consulate in Mumbai, includes roundtable discussions with the U.S.-India Business Council, the U.S. Soybean Export Council and the U.S. Grains Council later this week. Reynolds is also scheduled to attend a partner state signing ceremony Friday between Iowa and Maharashtra, a western state of India that contains the cities of Mumbai, Nagpur, and Pune.

The India visit is one of several international trade missions Reynolds has joined in recent years, as the governor has stated that Iowa should focus on expanding their influence through new global markets. She has also led a trade mission to Italy, Kosovo, and Israel in 2023.

The trade mission comes amid heightened U.S. tariffs on goods from India. The tariffs of 50% on goods from India was implemented in late August, as President Donald Trump sought to take action to penalize. the country for its purchase of Russian oil and weapons during the Russia-Ukraine war.

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