Opinion Ashok Gulati and Ritika Juneja write: Make the farm atmanirbhar
Self-sufficiency in pulses and oilseeds will not only improve India's nutritional security but also heal soils, conserve groundwater and save air from pollution
As nutrition is the central concern of regenerative agriculture, India must prioritise nutritional security by enhancing domestic production of pulses and oilseeds—crops that require fewer inputs and naturally fix nitrogen in the soil. To address this, the government has launched the Rs 11,440 crore ‘Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses’ (2025–26 to 2030–31) — it aims to scale up domestic pulse production to 350 lakh tonnes. (C R Sasikumar) 
On October 16, the global community observed World Food Day under the theme “Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future,” marking the 80th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The theme underscores the collective responsibility to transform our food systems through collaboration between nations, businesses, farmers, policymakers, and scientists. Central to this transformation is regenerative agriculture — a holistic approach that restores soil health, enhances biodiversity, builds climate resilience, and promotes nutritional security.
This call for action could not be more urgent. Humanity’s footprint on the planet has grown exponentially, especially over the past two centuries. It took nearly 3,00,000 years for the Homo sapien population to touch one billion by 1804, but only 123 years to reach two billion by 1927. The pace then quickened dramatically, and humans multiplied four times in less than 100 years. Today, their population is around 8.2 billion. This rapid expansion has placed immense strain on this planet’s finite resources. Only 29 per cent of the Earth’s surface is land, and a mere 10.7 per cent of that is farmed. Soil, water, and ecosystems everywhere are under mounting pressure from overuse, pollution, and climate change.
India is fortunate that 52 per cent of its land area is arable. However, the rising population has depleted natural resources and led to environmental degradation. It threatens the long-term sustainability of agriculture — a sector that still employs nearly 46 per cent of the nation’s workforce. These intertwined challenges demand systemic solutions that no single actor or discipline can tackle alone. That is why innovation and collaboration must go hand in hand. Innovation generates new products and practices; collaboration ensures they are scaled and adopted effectively through partnerships. Together, the “4 Ps”— policies, products, practices, and partnerships — can pave the way for true transformation.
India’s journey from a food-deficient nation in the 1960s to the world’s largest exporter of rice is a powerful example of what the 4 Ps can achieve. The technological breakthroughs in high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of wheat by Norman Borlaug and his team at CIMMYT, and in rice by Henry Beachell and Gurdev Khush at IRRI, ushered in the Green Revolution, ensuring global food security. Borlaug’s pioneering work earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for saving millions of lives from famine.
These achievements were reinforced by the innovative Haber-Bosch process, developed by Fritz Haber and industrialised by Carl Bosch, which enabled the mass production of synthetic fertilisers and boosted crop yields worldwide. Both scientists received Nobel Prizes for their contributions. Their work was complemented by the expansion of irrigation systems and policies that supported prices. However, the innovations that once averted mass starvation created new challenges. In India, excessive and imbalanced use of fertilisers caused primarily by distorted pricing of N, P, and K fertilisers, has degraded soils, increased GHG emissions, and contaminated groundwater.
Today, India’s soil is in distress. The country’s average Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) level is below 0.3 per cent, far short of the 1 per cent threshold recommended by experts like Rattan Lal and R S Paroda. Soil quality depletion is particularly grave in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Restoring soil vitality is no longer optional; it is an ecological and economic imperative. What we need is a mission on regenerative agriculture for sustaining the nation’s agricultural future.
India’s flagship innovation initiatives, such as the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), are still evolving, with substantial breakthroughs yet to materialise. In contrast, the private sector has already taken proactive steps toward scaling regenerative agriculture. On October 15, a seminar, “Innovations for Regenerative Agriculture — Indian and Global Experiences,” was co-hosted by AgVaya (an India-based advisory firm specialising in agriculture and food-value-chain transformation) and BioSTL (a US non-profit based in St Louis focused on biosciences and agri-innovation), with ICRIER serving as knowledge partner.
The journey of innovation often begins in the most unassuming places. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple in the garage of Jobs’s parents’ home in Los Altos, California. Similarly, Bill Gates and Paul Allen started Microsoft in a small garage in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1975. In India, Pramod Bhasin (ICRIER’s Chairperson) pioneered the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), with this transformative idea germinating in a parking lot in Chennai. These stories remind us that innovation is not confined to grand offices or laboratories but can spring from anywhere given the right vision, passion, and investment.
The launch of the Global AgXelerate platform during the October 15 event exemplifies this spirit of innovation. This platform aims to connect agricultural innovators with global markets, fostering growth and transformation in the sector. Such initiatives highlight that with the right support, significant advancements can stem from modest beginnings.
As nutrition is the central concern of regenerative agriculture, India must prioritise nutritional security by enhancing domestic production of pulses and oilseeds—crops that require fewer inputs and naturally fix nitrogen in the soil. To address this, the government has launched the Rs 11,440 crore “Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses” (2025–26 to 2030–31) — it aims to scale up domestic pulse production to 350 lakh tonnes.
However, achieving self-sufficiency in pulses and oilseeds requires innovative policies that promote crop-neutral incentives. Unless pulses and oilseeds receive incentives and market support similar to rice and wheat, it may be difficult to realise the dream of atmanirbharta in pulses and oilseeds. Additionally, substantial investments in agricultural R&D are crucial to enhance productivity and resilience.
The success of the government’s initiatives hinges on effective implementation and active participation from farmers and stakeholders across the agricultural value chain. Achieving self-sufficiency in pulses and oilseeds will not only improve India’s nutritional security but also start regenerative agriculture. It will heal our soils, conserve groundwater, save air from pollution, and promote biodiversity.
Gulati is Distinguished Professor and Juneja is Research Fellow at ICRIER.
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