INDIA EXPERTS 2047IDEAS · PEOPLE · SOLUTIONS
MISSION 09 / INDIA 2047

Agriculture — Prosperous farms and resilient food systems

Improve farmer incomes, water efficiency and food value chains.

Illustration of Agriculture mission
The mission in brief

What India must achieve

Farm incomes depend on productivity, reliable water, market access, post-harvest systems and climate adaptation.

Improve water-use efficiency; producer organizations; cold chains; price discovery; soil health and crop diversification.

Our 2047 direction: Improve farmer incomes, water efficiency and food value chains. Progress should be measured through outcomes experienced by people and businesses, not announcements alone.

Three challenges to solve

1. Water stress

For agriculture, this is a system-level constraint. The mission proposes documenting a comparable baseline across states, identifying the institutions responsible and testing solutions before nationwide expansion.

2. Market access

For agriculture, this is a system-level constraint. The mission proposes documenting a comparable baseline across states, identifying the institutions responsible and testing solutions before nationwide expansion.

3. Post-harvest losses

For agriculture, this is a system-level constraint. The mission proposes documenting a comparable baseline across states, identifying the institutions responsible and testing solutions before nationwide expansion.

Priority solutions

1. Producer networks

Develop a practical intervention around producer networks, starting with stakeholder mapping, a clearly defined target population, implementation costs and independent measurement. Compare approaches across Indian states and relevant international peers before recommending scale-up.

2. Storage and processing

Develop a practical intervention around storage and processing, starting with stakeholder mapping, a clearly defined target population, implementation costs and independent measurement. Compare approaches across Indian states and relevant international peers before recommending scale-up.

3. Water-smart agriculture

Develop a practical intervention around water-smart agriculture, starting with stakeholder mapping, a clearly defined target population, implementation costs and independent measurement. Compare approaches across Indian states and relevant international peers before recommending scale-up.

Roadmap to 2047

2026–2030 Establish transparent baseline and test targeted interventions in agriculture.
2030–2040 Scale independently evaluated approaches through public-private collaboration.
2040–2047 Track outcomes, address remaining gaps and update the strategy with evidence.

Outcomes to track

  • Net farm income
  • irrigation efficiency
  • post-harvest losses
  • market realization
  • climate resilience.

Proposed first pilot

Pilot a farm-to-market value-chain map for one district, including costs, spoilage and bargaining constraints.

Evidence and further reading

The linked sources provide context; the mission recommendations are independent editorial proposals, not endorsed by the sources.

Read the detailed research brief →