Building on the gains of Green Revolution

The birth centenary of MS Swaminathan is an occasion to reflect on the past and future of India’s food production

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Today, India commemorates the birth centenary of MS Swaminathan, the agriculture scientist and administrator credited for seeding India’s Green Revolution.

The government of India will issue a ₹100 commemorative coin to honour his contributions. This milestone also marks the country's hardearned journey toward food self-sufficiency, a transformation that began with the Green Revolution.

The Green Revolution, launched in the mid-1960s, stands as one of the most significant turning points in India’s history and a landmark in global agricultural transformation. It remains a powerful example of what science —when applied strategically and in close partnership with farmers —can accomplish.

Food sufficiency was the most urgent and fundamental challenge that India and its 330 million people faced immediately after Independence. The country’s existence was described as ship-to-mouth, as it literally waited for food shipments, especially wheat from the US, to dock at its ports. This heavy dependence on the US PL-480 programme, a food aid initiative, painted a grim picture for a nation where over 70% of the population was engaged in agriculture but unable to feed itself.