Shivraj Singh Chouhan Emphasizes Farmer-Centric Growth and Technological Innovation to Triple Agricultural GDP

New Delhi, December 8, 2025: The Agribusiness Summit 2025 commenced today at the prestigious Hotel Taj Palace, Durbar Hall, New Delhi, with a powerful focus on "Tripling the Agricultural GDP by Using New Technology and Quality Agri Inputs." Bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, innovators, and farmers, the summit aims to explore and promote cutting-edge technologies and superior agricultural inputs that can revolutionize productivity and sustainability in the Indian agriculture sector. This platform sets the stage for meaningful dialogue and collaboration to unlock India’s vast agricultural potential.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, inspired the audience with a passionate call to honor Mother India through the spirit of Vande Mataram, emphasizing the farmer as the soul of the economy. He highlighted remarkable progress under the Modi government, including a 44% surge in sugarcane production since 2014, development of 3,300 climate-resilient seeds, and 36% overall production growth driven by quality seeds, mechanization, and schemes like MSP with price deficiency payments shared between central and state governments. The Minister stressed integrated farming models for small landholdings averaging less than 1 hectare, value addition, diversification into fish and cattle, and strict regulations on bio-inputs, reducing from 30,000 to just 8,000 compliant producers, while urging balanced fertilizer use to prevent soil degradation and ensure future generations' prosperity.
Dr. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog, stressed that boosting both utpadan (production) and utpadakta (productivity) remains vital, as India's agricultural workforce engages deeply in cultivation but needs higher output per acre. Drawing a comparison with China's $5 trillion economy, he noted how their farmers act as gardeners, innovators, and precise land managers, achieving superior yields through intensive practices- even in fertilizer use, where India can learn from their effective management to minimize adverse effects while maximizing benefits. This approach underscores the need for smarter, more meticulous farming to elevate India's agricultural performance.
Dr. R G Agarwal, Chair, Agribusiness Committee, PHDCCI, underlined “India’s farmers have always delivered for the nation. Now, it is time we deliver for them - by ensuring they receive the best technologies, knowledge, and support to enhance their productivity and income. This summit reflects a united commitment to empower our annadatas and strengthen India’s agricultural future.”
Rahul Dhanuka, Managing Director, Dhanuka Agritech Limited, noted that India features the world's lowest agricultural medicine usage as per FAO data, with recent studies showing further declines, though misuse in certain pockets remains a concern. He advocated public-private partnerships to boost national productivity through responsible agrochemical and fertilizer practices. Expressing gratitude to the Minister for his presence, Mr. Dhanuka affirmed that the Vande Mataram spirit will propel the nation forward.
Dr. Ranjeet Mehta, CEO and Secretary General, PHDCCI, highlighted the transformative momentum India’s agribusiness sector is witnessing today. He emphasized that with over 1.7 crore beneficiaries targeted under the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana and the expansive footprint of 15,000 natural farming clusters covering 7.5 lakh hectares, the scale of impact is unprecedented. Dr. Mehta pointed to the Digital Agriculture Mission’s ₹2,817 crore investment as a game-changer, linking 38,000 MAITRIs and multiple AI Centres of Excellence to empower farmers nationwide through precision agriculture, predictive analytics, and AI-driven advisories. “When 10,000 Bio-Input Resource Centres provide natural, low-cost inputs and the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme opens new income streams for rural communities, the vision of tripling agricultural GDP by harnessing technology and quality inputs is within reach,” he remarked. Dr. Mehta called for sustained collaboration among policymakers, industry leaders, and farmers to accelerate innovation and build India’s agribusiness as a global benchmark of sustainability and prosperity.
The inaugural session concluded on an optimistic note, emphasizing the critical role of technology adoption and high-quality inputs in transforming agriculture into a more profitable and sustainable enterprise. Key speakers reiterated the commitment to public-private partnerships and innovation-driven strategies that will drive the goal of tripling India’s agricultural GDP. The summit promises a roadmap towards a thriving agribusiness ecosystem that benefits farmers, businesses, and the economy at large.