GALT, Iowa – A delegation of Iowa agriculture and business officials returned from a Sept. 13-22 trade mission with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds to India, which has one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, according to officials.

“The goal of the governor’s trade mission was to continue to strengthen and build trade relationships with our partners in India,” Stu Swanson, Iowa Corn Growers Association president and a third-generation Galt family farmer, told Farm World. “These relationships are vital to continuing to find markets and build demand for our corn and corn products.”

During the 10-day trade mission, the delegation met with a number of Indian government officials and business owners. Swanson and other members of the delegation participated in an Iowa-India business summit, an agriculture roundtable, and visited with partners at the U.S. Grains Council India office.

Swanson, along with Jessica Hyland, Iowa Biotechnology Association executive director, also were witnesses to the signing of a letter of intent by Kavi Chawla, senior adviser at Ames, Iowa-based PowerPollen.

Starting in late October, PowerPollen’s pilot project will focus on winter corn seed production to leverage its patented pollen collection, preservation and application technology to improve yield and enable commercialization of high-value hybrids.

“Since founding PowerPollen, our mission has been to scale our technology so that farmers around the world can harness the full potential of on-demand pollination,” said Jason Cope, PowerPollen co-founder and chief intellectual property officer.

Swanson said the letter of intent with PowerPollen is to provide their cutting-edge pollen technology to VNR Seeds, based in India.

“It was an honor to participate in the India trade mission, along with Gov. Reynolds and the rest of the delegation, representing Iowa agriculture,” he said. “It was a great opportunity to showcase Iowa as a world’s front runner, and share how our state is positioned to meet the needs of countries like India. We are excited to see what potential future opportunities come out of this important mission.”

Over the course of the trip, Reynolds met with U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti, Indian Minister for Food Processing Chirag Paswan, Indian Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal, and Indian Secretary of Agriculture Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi, to discuss future partnerships with Iowa’s world-renowned agriculture and food processing industries, officials said. She also met with Indian Minister of Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi.

She delivered the keynote address at the U.S. India Business Council’s India Ideas Summit, and spoke with the U.S.-India Business Council Board in Delhi. She also hosted two business summits in Delhi and Mumbai, where Reynolds’ office said she showcased Iowa’s value in the global marketplace.

Reynolds also participated in roundtables with the Confederation of Indian Industry, United States Grains Council, U.S. Soybean Export Council, and U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum.

“Sixty years after (Cresco, Iowa native) Dr. Norman Borlaug worked with Indian scientists to bring the Green Revolution to the region, Iowa remains ideally suited to helping India feed its growing population and fuel its rapidly expanding economy, while also offering a business-friendly environment for the most innovative Indian companies to invest and expand,” she said.

“Our trade mission was all about building on this rich history of working together by fostering stronger commercial ties, and I’m confident it will pay off for many years to come,” she added.

Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig, who joined Reynolds on the trade mission, said, “By merging Iowa’s agricultural strengths with India’s sizable population and rapidly-expanding economy, we unlock an exciting opportunity to enhance our partnership.

“This recent trade mission not only strengthens our relationship with India, but also paves the way for new and larger market opportunities for Iowa farms and businesses,” he added. “I extend my gratitude to the governor for her leadership and to our delegation of Iowans for effectively showcasing the best of Iowa.”

Reynolds witnessed memorandums of understanding signed with the Compound Feed Manufacturers Association, Confederation of Indian Industry, and The Energies and Resources Institute.

Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority, who also joined the delegation, told Farm World, “Iowa and India share a tradition of working together. The recent trade mission aimed to expand our trade and investment partnership as India’s economy and population grows, along with demand for both food and fuel. Our two geographies have much in common, including a rich agriculture heritage and strong emphasis on manufacturing.

“I see tremendous opportunity across our economies, especially with Iowa’s strengths in agriculture, manufacturing and biofuels, which align with India’s growing market needs,” she said. “Iowa already is home to industry-leading companies with operations in India, and several multinational companies based in India are either operating in Iowa or exploring operations in Iowa.”

When asked how the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority will work with Reynolds to develop an ongoing investment relationship with India, she said, “I’m confident the new and long-standing opportunities brought about by this mission trip will ultimately mean greater business development and community development prospects for Iowa.”

Reynolds said she is planning another trade mission to India in 2025.

“We’re going to go back next year because it can’t be a one-and-done,” she said during an Oct. 2 news conference. “This is something that we believe is the right thing to do for our state, and for our farmers and manufacturers and biotechnology. We really can play a role.”