Transgenic research in Indian agriculture began with the establishment of centres for plant molecular biology and indigenously produced transgenic plants are being evaluated at different stages. Approvals for field experiments have been accorded to certain private seed companies through the procedures of national biosafety guidelines. The concern expressed by certain farmers groups and NGOs on these field trials in different forums and media highlight the need for building public acceptance in India not only for transgenic plants but also for all the future biotechnology products. In this paper an attempt is made to discuss some of the issues relevant to public acceptance from the perspective of farming communities and consumers in general and compare them with the trends abroad.