India Bars Foreign Funds From Funding Conversions

On June 22, the government of India issued two notifications, one of which explicitly bars non-governmental organizations from using foreign funds for proselytizing.

The notification explicitly prohibits the use of foreign contributions for religious conversion but allows their use to support government-specified religious activities.

The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) is the framework through which all NGOs engaged in charitable work receive foreign funding in the country.

Earlier in March 2026, the Indian government amended the FCRA to appoint a Designated Authority, to be notified by the federal government, which will take provisional control of foreign contributions and assets in cases of cancellation, surrender, or cessation of registration.

Now, the latest notifications issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs have tightened the foreign funding framework for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and associations under the FCRA.

Key Rules and Restrictions

Foreign funds are permitted for faith-based activities such as theological studies, sermons, meditation retreats, and the preservation of indigenous or tribal faiths. However, these must not include conversion-oriented work.

By expressly excluding proselytization, the government signals that foreign contributions may support religious and faith-based activities but not conversion-oriented work.

Organizations seeking FCRA registration must also select their activities from a narrow set of government-approved activities and geographic areas. They must select their objectives and operational states/Union Territories from a predefined schedule in the rules where the foreign-funded work will take place.

Each new area of operation must be registered immediately by paying a designated fee. All these details will be printed on the registration certificate.

Compliance and Accountability Measures

NGOs must fully disclose all social media accounts, websites, and publications, and report all foreign donors.

They must also declare whether the association or its key functionaries have published any books, magazines, or newspaper articles during the year.

Regulatory Regimen

The changes in the FCRA mark a shift from a relatively broad, program-based framework to a far more prescriptive regulatory regime.

Since coming to power in 2014, the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has faced allegations of targeting Christian organizations under the FCRA regime over suspicions of conversion.

Several Christian institutions, including Missionaries of Charity, Compassion International, World Vision India, Evangelical Fellowship of India, and Church of North India-linked entities, have faced FCRA action.

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