In August 1964 the agriculture minister, C. Subramaniam, approved M.S. Swaminathan’s national demonstration program for Mexican semi-dwarf wheat. He overruled objections from skeptical officials. For the winter crop of 1966-67, India planted about 18,000 tonnes of imported seed. The Royal Asiatic Society of Bombay gives 18,200 tonnes.
Subramaniam also won over Prime Minister Shastri. ThePrint reports that in 1966 he had the garden of his house in Delhi dug up to plant the new wheat.