• RNAi is a gene silencing technology that inhibits protein synthesis in target cells using double-stranded RNA. • RNAi has huge significance within the Indian context, considering the deep-seated resistance over the years to Bt cotton and other genetically modified seeds. RNA-reliant solutions could be a viable alternative. • RNAi is used in functional genomics (systematic analysis of loss-of-function phenotypes induced by RNAi triggers) and developing therapies for the treatment of viral infection, dominant disorders, neurological disorders, and many types of cancers (in vivo inactivation of gene products linked to human disease progression and pathology).