Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa is leading a new trade mission to India this week, aimed at deepening agricultural, biofuel, and technological trade relationships between the two regions. The visit follows her successful 2024 mission and reflects Iowa's strategic commitment to diversifying export markets amid ongoing global economic uncertainty.

The 2025 delegation includes Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority Debi Durham, and several agricultural and business leaders from the state. The eight-day itinerary includes stops in Delhi, Pune, and Mumbai, with meetings focused on trade expansion, energy cooperation, and agricultural innovation.

According to a statement from the governor's office, the trip is designed 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," said Governor Reynolds. "I look forward to further solidifying those relationships and establishing new connections on which to build."

During the trip, Governor Reynolds and Secretary Naig addressed participants at DialogueNEXT, a symposium hosted by the World Food Prize Foundation, headquartered in Des Moines. In her keynote address, Reynolds emphasized Iowa's global leadership in food production, biotechnology, and renewable fuels.

"Iowa farmers produce ten percent of America's food supply with less than one percent of its population," she said. "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 highlighted that "food security is inseparable from energy security," and that Iowa leads the United States in renewable fuel production. She pointed to ethanol and biodiesel as affordable, clean energy sources that support farmers while helping countries like India reduce emissions and diversify their energy portfolios.

The Iowa delegation also met with the Sehgal Foundation, an Indian non-governmental organization focused on sustainable agriculture, and engaged in roundtable discussions with the U.S.-India Business Council, the U.S. Soybean Export Council, and the U.S. Grains Council.

Later this week, Governor Reynolds is expected to attend a partner state signing ceremony between Iowa and Maharashtra, a major Indian state that includes the cities of Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur. The agreement is expected to promote collaboration on agriculture, energy innovation, and education.

This mission comes at a time of increased trade friction. In late August 2025, the United States reinstated 50 percent tariffs on select Indian goods, citing India's continued purchases of Russian oil and defense equipment during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Despite these tensions at the federal level, Governor Reynolds and Iowa leaders are pursuing subnational diplomacy to maintain economic ties and explore growth opportunities in India's large and rapidly developing market.

Governor Reynolds has emphasized international outreach as a key strategy for Iowa's economic future. In addition to this trip to India, she has recently led trade missions to Italy, Kosovo, and Israel, advocating for agricultural trade, bioenergy partnerships, and global investment in Iowa.

For Iowa's farmers and agribusinesses, the stakes are high. Strengthening ties with India-one of the world's largest food and energy markets-could help offset current trade losses in China and create loterm opportunities for soybeans, corn, biofuels, and agricultural technology exports.