India is placed at an inflexion point of Amrit Kaal, euphemism coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 25 years in the run up to 2047, when it turns 100 as an independent nation. These 25 years also coincide with a period when the country can potentially reap the "demographic dividend" from a young workforce, which can generate the incomes and savings to fund both consumption and investment to fuel a virtuous growth cycle. But critical to the government's aim of turning India into a "developed country" by 2047 is the role of agriculture. As a sector contributing 17 per cent of India's GDP (directly, without accounting for the industries it supports both as input supplier and consumer) and employing 45 per cent of its workforce. Till now there has neither been any major initiative nor any discussion in this regard at the policy level. While we aspire to become a five trillion dollars economy in the next few years, it is difficult to say, at least for now, whether one trillion dollars of this will come from agriculture and its allied sectors. Highly placed people in the government, policy making experts, corporates, scientists and even the farmers themselves believe the aspirational goals cannot be achieved without significantly increasing farmers’ income.

  While policy making is all about agriculture, it should be about farmers. The popular discourse is about increasing production and how to make food products available to consumers at affordable prices. Inflation targets come in the way of raising farmers’ income. Due to rising costs, earnings of the input industry are increasing but the net income of the farmer is on the decline. Government agencies mandated to ensure remunerative prices to the farmers are instead working harder to keep prices low in the market by somehow jacking up the supply. Decisions are taken in haste to protect consumers compromising interest of growers. In such a situation, it is important to think about what Amrit Kaal will mean for the farmers. Along with this, there is also a need to break the policy inertia.

  The cover story and experts' articles in this issue of Rural World focus on this aspect. After a new government is formed in June, farmers and agriculture should not be left behind; hence we have tried to put forward a list of possible policy changes in the form of an agenda for the new government incorporating views of experts. For this, Rural World's associate publication Rural Voice organised a conference 'Amrit Kaal for Agriculture and Farmers'. A brainstorming session was organized jointly with “Bharat Krishak Samaj” on the topic in which experts on policy, corporate, scientist, environmentalist, technology, finance and market presented their views and solutions. Their views have been captured in the cover story. They believe that work needs to be done on farmer-centric policies, investment requirements, research and development, structural changes, market and corporate, domestic and global trade, challenges of climate change, financial resources, digitization and artificial intelligence, GM technology, balance between soil health and chemicals, balanced use of natural resources like water, human health and the economic interests of consumers and farmers.

  Besides, globally renowned agricultural scientist Dr. R.S. Paroda has explained in his article what kind of steps need to be taken in agricultural research and technology during Amrit Kaal. Dr. Biswajit Dhar, a prominent expert on international trade, has assessed the policy situation regarding agriculture on the export front. The cover story also features an article by former Agriculture and Food Secretary T. Nandakumar on why it is important to keep farmers at the centre of agricultural policies and decisions.

  Every issue of Rural World is an effort to convey to the readers the steps being taken towards the economic prosperity of the farmers of the country, important policy issues and the changes taking place in this sector. We hope that the new government will implement the agenda focused on increasing the income of the farmer by taking necessary policy changes and decisions for agriculture and allied sectors, so that rural India also becomes partner in the goal of reaching a status of a developed nation during Amrit Kaal.