The government of India is paving the way to seize the property, buildings, assets, and equipment of Christian organizations. Hospitals, schools, food banks, churches, and Christian broadcasters that have been funded in part by donors in the United States could lose everything in the blink of an eye.
Amendments to India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, commonly known as the FCRA, were recently introduced in parliament. Because the proposed changes require approval from only one chamber and have significant political backing, they will likely become law within the coming months.
If enacted, the amendments would dramatically expand the government’s authority over nonprofit organizations that receive foreign support, including many Christian ministries and humanitarian groups connected to American donors and churches.
The FCRA has already been used in recent years to restrict the work of thousands of nonprofit organizations across India. Numerous charities, faith-based ministries, and civil society groups have lost authorization to receive foreign contributions, effectively cutting them off from vital financial support from partners abroad.
The proposed amendments, however, go much further than restricting access to future funding.
Under the new provisions, the Indian government could take custody of an organization’s assets if its FCRA registration expires or is canceled. This could include church buildings, ministry facilities, schools, medical clinics, broadcasting equipment, humanitarian infrastructure, and other property connected to organizations that have received foreign funding.
Most troubling, these transfers could occur through administrative action without prior judicial review or meaningful due process protections.
For Christian ministries across India, the implications are severe. Hundreds of organizations could face existential threats if the law is enacted and enforced.
Many of these ministries have spent decades serving vulnerable communities throughout the country. They provided food during times of famine and hardship. They cared for the sick and vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. They established schools in underserved communities and clinics in areas with limited access to healthcare. They built churches and media ministries dedicated to sharing the Gospel and serving their neighbors.
This is not only a threat to religious freedom and humanitarian service in India, but it also raises serious concerns for American donors and churches that have faithfully supported these ministries for years. Funds contributed by Christians in the United States were given with the expectation that they would support charitable outreach, ministry work, healthcare, education, and the advancement of the Gospel. Under the proposed amendments, however, the Indian government could take control of property and equipment purchased with those donations.
The same funds that were given to further the spread of the Gospel could now be used to suppress it.
At its core, this issue raises broader concerns about religious liberty, civil society, and the treatment of minority faith communities in the world’s largest democracy. Governments have a legitimate interest in transparency and accountability regarding foreign funding, but granting the state sweeping authority to confiscate assets from nonprofit organizations without adequate judicial oversight crosses a dangerous line. Policies that target or disproportionately burden religious organizations risk undermining fundamental freedoms that democratic societies are meant to protect.
In response to these developments, NRB is actively advocating on behalf of Christian broadcasters, churches, ministries, and humanitarian organizations in India that could be affected by these proposed changes. NRB’s policy team has been engaging with key officials on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and within the Administration to raise awareness about the implications of the legislation and the broader concerns surrounding religious freedom and due process protections.
As part of these efforts, NRB has also encouraged engagement with the U.S. Department of State, including Secretary Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, to ensure these concerns remain part of ongoing diplomatic discussions between the United States and India.
Religious freedom is not merely an abstract principle. It is tied directly to the ability of individuals and organizations to live out their faith through service, charity, education, and public witness. When governments acquire the power to confiscate the assets of faith-based organizations without meaningful safeguards, they threaten the continued existence of ministries that care for the poor, support families, educate children, and provide hope to communities in need.
For American Christians and ministries partnering in India, this moment demands close attention and sustained advocacy. The outcome of these proposed amendments could shape the future of Christian ministry and humanitarian outreach in India for years to come.
Jack Creel was a policy analyst at NRB.