Cow protection? India’s top beef exporter donated BJP Rs 30 crore
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AI generated.
New Delhi: India’s largest exporter of buffalo meat, the Allana Group, donated Rs 30 crore to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2024–25, even as the country’s beef exports climbed past $4 billion in 2025, marking their highest level since 2018, according to public disclosures and trade data, a report by Scroll.in revealed.
The Mumbai-based company, headed by Irfan Allana, made the contribution through four group entities — Allanasons Private Limited, Frigerio Conserva Allana Private Limited, Frigorifico Allana Private Limited and Indagro Foods Private Limited. The donation represents a sharp rise from previous years, increasing fifteenfold from Rs 2 crore contributed in 2023–24 through Frigerio Conserva Allana Private Limited.
The contribution comes against the backdrop of a politically sensitive debate over the meat industry. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had criticised the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for encouraging what he termed a “pink revolution”, alleging that large-scale slaughterhouses were operating across the country.
Despite strong rhetoric from sections of the BJP and affiliated organisations advocating cow protection, India has remained one of the world’s leading exporters of buffalo meat. Industry data show that exports crossed $4 billion in 2025, reflecting robust international demand.
The Allana Group has previously faced regulatory scrutiny. In 2019, the Income Tax Department conducted searches at more than 100 locations linked to the company and alleged tax evasion of nearly Rs 2,000 crore. Around the same period, the group purchased Rs 7 crore worth of electoral bonds, donating Rs 5 crore to the Shiv Sena and Rs 2 crore to the BJP. At the time, both parties were in power in Maharashtra.
Public records indicate that the group had also donated Rs 2 crore to the BJP in 2013–14 and Rs 50 lakh in 2014–15. In 2019, it contributed an additional Rs 2 crore through electoral bonds.
While earlier donations coincided with heightened tax scrutiny, the latest Rs 30 crore contribution appears to align with a phase of business growth, as exports reach record levels. Neither the company nor the BJP has publicly commented on the rationale behind the 2024–25 donation.
