Christian organizations in India are raising concerns over proposed revisions to the nation’s foreign funding regulations, warning that the changes could expand state control over charities serving vulnerable communities.
In comments shared with The Christian Post, the All India Christian Council said the proposal effectively paves the way for authorities to take control of Christian-owned assets intended to support marginalized groups such as Dalits and tribal, or indigenous, populations.
The legislation, known as the Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill 2026, was recently approved by India’s federal cabinet and is now awaiting parliamentary approval, according to UCA News. The broader Foreign Contribution Regulation Act governs how foreign donations are received and used, requiring organizations to register in order to access such funds.
If enacted, the bill would significantly increase government oversight of organizations receiving foreign contributions and establish a legal pathway for the state to assume control of assets — including land and buildings — created with such funds when an organization’s registration is suspended, revoked, surrendered or not renewed.
The proposed amendment also introduces a new provision, Section 14B, which outlines the termination of registration following expiration or denial of renewal, while also setting stricter timelines for receiving and utilizing foreign donations.
Government data indicate that 14,994 organizations are currently registered under the FCRA system, while 21,954 registrations have been canceled and approximately 15,174 others have lapsed, according to the country’s interior ministry.
Among the organizations that have lost their FCRA registration are World Vision, Compassion International, Church Auxiliary for Social Action and Evangelical Fellowship of India.
Joseph D’Souza, president of the All India Christian Council, said authorities were intensifying efforts to take control of properties under the guise of enforcing FCRA regulations, describing the proposed changes as an attempt to bring Christian-run assets under state authority.
Mission Network News reported that the amendment follows earlier changes to the FCRA renewal process that left thousands of organizations under review. Rules introduced in 2021 require renewal every five years, prompting all registered groups to reapply.
John Pudaite of Bibles For The World told Mission Network News that authorities have used the review process to restrict the flow of foreign funds and to closely examine organizations linked to Christian and Muslim minority communities.
Pudaite said a longtime partner of Bibles For The World, with whom the ministry had worked for more than 50 years, recently lost its FCRA registration.
Cedric Prakash, based in Gujarat, warned in comments to UCA News that properties purchased with foreign funds — including land and buildings — could be vulnerable, adding that the proposed law would enable the government to assume control of such assets once enacted.
An unnamed church leader told UCA News that the proposal appears designed to ensure that only civil society organizations aligned with the government’s Hindu nationalist agenda would continue to receive foreign funding.
