India Inc leaders see agriculture as the growth driver

Adding to that, Wipro chairman Azim Premji said that when it came to transformation, the government had put a fair amount on the table. “They (the government) have set it into motion by bringing in various policies. It is also up to the corporate sector to take this forward and translate it into inclusive growth.”

Touching upon the agrarian crises that the country has been facing for several decades, Bharti Group chief Sunil Mittal admitted that going has been tough for the company in this sector. “It is much tougher than we had expected as the infrastructure in rural areas is very weak. While the last few decades have been good in creating self-sufficiency, the agenda over the next few decades has to be filling in the vital missing links like cold chains, rural transport,” he said.

While agriculture is a worrisome sector, Mukesh Ambani, CMD, Reliance Industries —which has its leg firmly in the space — said it also has the highest potential for growth. “The problem is not with people and production but with distribution. There is a big opportunity and need to create a new development model in agriculture, for which the corporate sector will have to win farmers’ trust,” Ambani said.