India’s agricultural policy framework must evolve beyond heavy reliance on subsidies and move towards a more sustainable, competitive, and resilient model, experts emphasised during a recent policy discussion.
At Business Standard Manthan, a prominent public policy forum, leading economists and policy thinkers examined the structural reforms required to future-proof Indian agriculture. The discussion featured noted experts, including Laveesh Bhandari, Ramesh Chand, and Ashok Gulati.
Moving Beyond Subsidy Dependence
According to the panel, India’s agricultural policy has historically relied on subsidies and price support mechanisms to stabilise farm incomes. While these interventions have played an important role in ensuring food security and supporting farmers, experts argued that long-term sectoral growth requires a shift towards productivity, sustainability, and market competitiveness.
Laveesh Bhandari highlighted that policy discussions must increasingly focus on strengthening agricultural efficiency, improving market integration, and reducing environmental stress linked to intensive farming practices.
Questioning Assumptions on Competitiveness
A key issue raised during the discussion was whether India’s hesitation to liberalise agricultural markets stems from an untested assumption that domestic agriculture lacks global competitiveness.
Ashok Gulati and other experts suggested that the sector’s true competitive potential remains under-examined. Opening markets cautiously, they argued, could help assess how Indian agriculture performs under global trade conditions while encouraging efficiency improvements across the value chain.
Balancing Growth, Environment and Farmer Welfare
Participants also emphasised that the future of India’s agricultural policy must balance multiple priorities. These include improving farmer incomes, addressing environmental degradation caused by intensive input use, strengthening food security, and integrating the sector more effectively with global trade systems.
Ramesh Chand noted that policy reforms should aim to create a more resilient agricultural ecosystem capable of adapting to climate change, resource constraints, and evolving consumer demand.
As India’s farm sector continues to support millions of livelihoods and remains central to national food security, experts believe that strategic reforms focused on sustainability, innovation, and competitiveness will shape the next phase of agricultural development.
