New Publication Co-Authored by PETA India Scientist Shows How India Can Lead Modernisation of Pesticide Toxicity Assessment Replacing Animal Use

For Immediate Release:

28 July 2026

Contact:

Anushka Yadav; [email protected]

Varulika Dixit; [email protected]

New Delhi—As an increasing number of countries prioritise modern, human-relevant approaches to pesticide toxicity assessment, a new peer-reviewed publication identifies that India has a unique opportunity to modernise its regulatory framework to replace tests on animals, strengthen scientific decision-making, improve human and environmental safety, and enhance India’s global competitiveness.

The paper ‘Redefining pesticide toxicity assessment: An approach to incorporating non-animal strategies’, co-authored by a PETA India scientist, a former regulator, and industry experts, notes that developing a new pesticide active ingredient can take more than a decade and involve toxicity studies using up to 20,000 animals. Many of these tests on animals were developed decades ago, are time-consuming, lack human relevance, and fail to accurately predict how chemicals will affect humans or the environment.

Non-animal methods are increasingly being accepted in countries worldwide by regulators because of their human-relevance, reliability, modernity, and ethical advantages. The paper outlines practical, science-based recommendations to help India implement non-animal methods for pesticide toxicity testing, maintaining or improving standards of human and environmental safety.

The publication comes at a pivotal time, as the Government seeks public comment on the pesticide registration guidelines amid significant international momentum toward modernising pesticide assessment and replacing the use of animals in testing. Earlier this year, the European Commission adopted its Roadmap Towards Phasing Out Animal Testing for Chemical Safety Assessments, while the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reaffirmed its commitment to replace mammalian testing with more reliable and relevant non-animal methods.

According to the authors, India’s regulatory framework already provides flexibility to consider non-animal approaches. However, uncertainty over which methods will be accepted in practice often leads companies to continue testing on animals to avoid the risk of regulatory delays. The paper recommends clearer regulatory guidance on the acceptance of non-animal methods, opportunities for companies to discuss their plans with regulators before submitting applications, and increased availability of information on accepted methods to build confidence among both regulators and industry.

The authors also note that the benefits extend beyond regulatory science. Many multinational companies already generate non-animal data for global regulatory submissions, and several Indian laboratories now offer internationally accepted non-animal methods. Aligning India’s regulatory framework with evolving international practices and expectations could support efficient regulatory reviews, fast-track global market access, and strengthen the competitiveness of both Indian companies expanding globally and multinational companies seeking registrations in India.

“India is one of the leading producers and exporters of pesticides and it can become a leader in modern non-animal regulatory science,” says Dr. Ankita Pandey, Senior Scientist and Research Policy Advisor, PETA India. “Prioritising use of internationally accepted, modern non-animal science-based approaches is an opportunity for strategic investment in India’s regulatory preparedness, innovative ecosystem, and future global competitiveness’, Dr Pandey adds.

Every year, around the globe, tens of thousands of animals are experimented upon in pesticide toxicity tests. Animals are forced to ingest or inhale toxic chemicals or have them applied to their eyes or skin.

PETA India scientists will continue to support government initiatives to incorporate the best available science into the Indian regulatory framework, which will allow India to best protect farmers and the environment, safeguard human health, and spare animals from cruel tests.

PETA India — whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to experiment on” — opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com or follow PETA India on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

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