Four years ago, this powerful voting bloc forced Modi's government into a rare retreat on a set of controversial farm laws. The vast disparity in the scale of farming makes it difficult for Indian farmers to compete with their US counterparts. Many Indian farmers also rely on traditional, unmechanised techniques, while American agriculture has developed into a highly efficient, tech-driven industry. Indian companies have invested heavily in new distilleries, and farmers have expanded corn cultivation to meet the rising demand. With state assembly elections approaching in Bihar - a major corn-producing state in the east - allowing US ethanol imports would lower local corn prices.