Agriculture's road to 2047

At the 10th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reemphasised the need to make India a developed nation by 2047, coinciding with the centenary of Independence.

- HIMANSHU PATHAK & P K JOSHI

The agriculture sector holds vast potential to emerge as a driving force in achieving this goal through innovation, economic strength, and environmental sustainability.

In the past, Indian agriculture witnessed a remarkable transformation from a food-insecure to a food-surplus nation, becoming a global success story. There has been a giant leap in food grain production from a very low level of 50.82 million tonnes in 1950-51 to an all-time high of 353.96 million tonnes in 2024-25. India used to be a deficit country in most food commodities at the time of Independence, but has now emerged as one of the leaders in agricultural exports, reaching ₹4,08 trillion in 2023-24. Indian agriculture has proved wrong all global projections of famine and starvation, which had predicted massive food shortages to meet the needs of its growing population.

The role of agriculture—especially agricultural research, education, and extension—will be pivotal in achieving our goal of becoming a developed nation. Agriculture, however, faces many challenges, including declining holding size, climate change, resource depletion, changing consumer demands, and growing global competition. At the same time, there are enormous opportunities arising from advancements in biotechnology, precision farming, digital agriculture, and sustainable practices. It is crucial to overcome these challenges and seize the opportunities to become a global leader in agriculture.