Kurukshetra Magazine February 2024 - 3 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


Kurukshetra       February  2024 36
Rajiv Theodore
The author is a journalist. Email: rajivtheodore@gmail.com 
Making India Making India 
the Food Basket the Food Basket 
of the World of the World
Currently, India is the second-biggest producer 
of wheat and rice, the two staples. India 
can become the largest food supplier in 
the world. It has cultivable land, all the 
seasons for production of all varieties 
of fruits and vegetables, and an 
agribusiness system that works. By 
building an efficient and effective 
supply chain using state-of-the-
art techniques, it is possible 
to serve the hungry with 
value-added food while 
simultaneously ensuring 
remunerative prices for 
the farmers.
he spectre of a global food shortage 
continues to be a concern. Out 
of 8 billion people on this planet, 
828 million are going hungry every 
day. A total of 29.6% of the global 
population does not have adequate access to food. 
Around 9 million people die from hunger-related 
causes every year; many are children under the age 
of 5. Even if we rebound from the economic fallout 
of the pandemic, the UN predicts that we may fall 
well short of our goal for Zero Hunger by 2030. At 
the end of this decade, it is estimated that there will 
still be 670 million people facing hunger. Over 122 
million more people have been facing hunger in the 
world since 2019 due to the pandemic and repeated 
weather shocks, according to the latest State of Food 
Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report 
published jointly by five United Nations specialised 
agencies. If trends remain as they are, the Sustainable 
Development Goal of ending hunger by 2030 may not 
be reached, the Food and Agriculture Organization 
of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund 
for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United 
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health 
T
Page 2


Kurukshetra       February  2024 36
Rajiv Theodore
The author is a journalist. Email: rajivtheodore@gmail.com 
Making India Making India 
the Food Basket the Food Basket 
of the World of the World
Currently, India is the second-biggest producer 
of wheat and rice, the two staples. India 
can become the largest food supplier in 
the world. It has cultivable land, all the 
seasons for production of all varieties 
of fruits and vegetables, and an 
agribusiness system that works. By 
building an efficient and effective 
supply chain using state-of-the-
art techniques, it is possible 
to serve the hungry with 
value-added food while 
simultaneously ensuring 
remunerative prices for 
the farmers.
he spectre of a global food shortage 
continues to be a concern. Out 
of 8 billion people on this planet, 
828 million are going hungry every 
day. A total of 29.6% of the global 
population does not have adequate access to food. 
Around 9 million people die from hunger-related 
causes every year; many are children under the age 
of 5. Even if we rebound from the economic fallout 
of the pandemic, the UN predicts that we may fall 
well short of our goal for Zero Hunger by 2030. At 
the end of this decade, it is estimated that there will 
still be 670 million people facing hunger. Over 122 
million more people have been facing hunger in the 
world since 2019 due to the pandemic and repeated 
weather shocks, according to the latest State of Food 
Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report 
published jointly by five United Nations specialised 
agencies. If trends remain as they are, the Sustainable 
Development Goal of ending hunger by 2030 may not 
be reached, the Food and Agriculture Organization 
of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund 
for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United 
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health 
T
37 Kurukshetra       February  2024
Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme 
(WFP) warn. 
However, amidst this scenario there is much more 
than a ray of hope—India, which has enough food for its 
people, is geared up to supply food stocks to the world 
if the World Trade Organization (WTO) allows, Prime 
Minister Narendra Modi had told the US President Joe 
Biden in their virtual meeting recently. “We already 
have enough food for our people but our farmers seem 
to have made arrangements to feed the world.” He 
added that “the world is facing a new problem now. 
The food stock of the world is getting empty if WTO 
permits, India is ready to supply food stock to the world 
from tomorrow.” The global food crisis has already 
seen Indian traders signing contracts for exporting 
food grains of about 30 lakh (3 million) tonnes during 
the April-July period. The official projection suggests 
another bumper harvest of wheat at over 110 million 
tonnes this season.
At home, the investor-friendly policies by the 
Government are taking the food sector to new heights 
with the creation of an agri-export policy, bolstering 
a nationwide logistics and infrastructure framework, 
setting up 100 district-level hubs connecting the district 
to global markets, and increasing the number of mega 
food parks from 2 to more than 20. All this has jacked 
up India’s food processing capacity from 12 lakh metric 
tonnes to more than 200 lakh metric tonnes, which is 
15 times more than it was in the last nine years. Prime 
Minister Modi gave examples of agricultural produce 
that are being exported from India for the first time 
and mentioned black garlic from Himachal Pradesh, 
dragon fruit from Jammu & Kashmir, soya milk powder 
from Madhya Pradesh, Karkitchoo apples from Ladakh, 
Cavendish banana from Punjab, Gucchi Mushrooms 
from Jammu, and Raw honey from Karnataka.
Can India Do This?
Currently, India is the second-biggest producer of 
wheat and rice, the two staples. It has a stock of over 850 
lakh (85 million) tonnes, of which 513 lakh (51.3 million) 
are with the Food Corporation of India and another 340 
lakh (34 million) tonnes of unmilled paddy lying with 
states have provided a cushion to the government to 
make an offer to supply foodgrains to other countries. 
Of this stock, 21 million tonnes are segregated as its 
strategic reserve and 
the Public Distribution 
System (PDS), which 
has bettered its 
reputation during the 
Covid-19 pandemic 
by providing food to 
about 80 crore (800 
million) people, as 
per the Government 
figures. Indian 
supplies can also 
calm down rising 
commodity prices. 
India supplies some 
of the cheapest 
wheat and rice. India 
exports wheat to 
about 70 countries 
and rice to about 150. 
Some of the 
strengths outlined below underline India’s intent to be 
the world’s food supplier:
Millets
  India could help mitigate the world food crisis by 
offering millets. India is the largest producer of 
millets in the world. India’s two varieties of millets, 
namely pearl millet (bajra) and sorghum (jowar), 
will together contribute approximately 19 per cent 
in world production in 2020. India’s pearl millet 
production accounts for 40.51 per cent followed by 
sorghum 8.09 per cent in the world production of 
millets in 2020. The major millet producing states in 
India are Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar 
Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil 
Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Together, 
these ten states account for around 98 per cent 
of millets production in India during the period 
2020-21. Six states, namely Rajasthan, Karnataka, 
Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Gujarat, 
account for more than 83 per cent of total millet 
production.
  Terming millets as part of India's 'Super Food Bucket', 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed out that the 
nutri-rich coarse grain will reach every corner of 
Page 3


Kurukshetra       February  2024 36
Rajiv Theodore
The author is a journalist. Email: rajivtheodore@gmail.com 
Making India Making India 
the Food Basket the Food Basket 
of the World of the World
Currently, India is the second-biggest producer 
of wheat and rice, the two staples. India 
can become the largest food supplier in 
the world. It has cultivable land, all the 
seasons for production of all varieties 
of fruits and vegetables, and an 
agribusiness system that works. By 
building an efficient and effective 
supply chain using state-of-the-
art techniques, it is possible 
to serve the hungry with 
value-added food while 
simultaneously ensuring 
remunerative prices for 
the farmers.
he spectre of a global food shortage 
continues to be a concern. Out 
of 8 billion people on this planet, 
828 million are going hungry every 
day. A total of 29.6% of the global 
population does not have adequate access to food. 
Around 9 million people die from hunger-related 
causes every year; many are children under the age 
of 5. Even if we rebound from the economic fallout 
of the pandemic, the UN predicts that we may fall 
well short of our goal for Zero Hunger by 2030. At 
the end of this decade, it is estimated that there will 
still be 670 million people facing hunger. Over 122 
million more people have been facing hunger in the 
world since 2019 due to the pandemic and repeated 
weather shocks, according to the latest State of Food 
Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report 
published jointly by five United Nations specialised 
agencies. If trends remain as they are, the Sustainable 
Development Goal of ending hunger by 2030 may not 
be reached, the Food and Agriculture Organization 
of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund 
for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United 
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health 
T
37 Kurukshetra       February  2024
Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme 
(WFP) warn. 
However, amidst this scenario there is much more 
than a ray of hope—India, which has enough food for its 
people, is geared up to supply food stocks to the world 
if the World Trade Organization (WTO) allows, Prime 
Minister Narendra Modi had told the US President Joe 
Biden in their virtual meeting recently. “We already 
have enough food for our people but our farmers seem 
to have made arrangements to feed the world.” He 
added that “the world is facing a new problem now. 
The food stock of the world is getting empty if WTO 
permits, India is ready to supply food stock to the world 
from tomorrow.” The global food crisis has already 
seen Indian traders signing contracts for exporting 
food grains of about 30 lakh (3 million) tonnes during 
the April-July period. The official projection suggests 
another bumper harvest of wheat at over 110 million 
tonnes this season.
At home, the investor-friendly policies by the 
Government are taking the food sector to new heights 
with the creation of an agri-export policy, bolstering 
a nationwide logistics and infrastructure framework, 
setting up 100 district-level hubs connecting the district 
to global markets, and increasing the number of mega 
food parks from 2 to more than 20. All this has jacked 
up India’s food processing capacity from 12 lakh metric 
tonnes to more than 200 lakh metric tonnes, which is 
15 times more than it was in the last nine years. Prime 
Minister Modi gave examples of agricultural produce 
that are being exported from India for the first time 
and mentioned black garlic from Himachal Pradesh, 
dragon fruit from Jammu & Kashmir, soya milk powder 
from Madhya Pradesh, Karkitchoo apples from Ladakh, 
Cavendish banana from Punjab, Gucchi Mushrooms 
from Jammu, and Raw honey from Karnataka.
Can India Do This?
Currently, India is the second-biggest producer of 
wheat and rice, the two staples. It has a stock of over 850 
lakh (85 million) tonnes, of which 513 lakh (51.3 million) 
are with the Food Corporation of India and another 340 
lakh (34 million) tonnes of unmilled paddy lying with 
states have provided a cushion to the government to 
make an offer to supply foodgrains to other countries. 
Of this stock, 21 million tonnes are segregated as its 
strategic reserve and 
the Public Distribution 
System (PDS), which 
has bettered its 
reputation during the 
Covid-19 pandemic 
by providing food to 
about 80 crore (800 
million) people, as 
per the Government 
figures. Indian 
supplies can also 
calm down rising 
commodity prices. 
India supplies some 
of the cheapest 
wheat and rice. India 
exports wheat to 
about 70 countries 
and rice to about 150. 
Some of the 
strengths outlined below underline India’s intent to be 
the world’s food supplier:
Millets
  India could help mitigate the world food crisis by 
offering millets. India is the largest producer of 
millets in the world. India’s two varieties of millets, 
namely pearl millet (bajra) and sorghum (jowar), 
will together contribute approximately 19 per cent 
in world production in 2020. India’s pearl millet 
production accounts for 40.51 per cent followed by 
sorghum 8.09 per cent in the world production of 
millets in 2020. The major millet producing states in 
India are Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar 
Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil 
Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Together, 
these ten states account for around 98 per cent 
of millets production in India during the period 
2020-21. Six states, namely Rajasthan, Karnataka, 
Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Gujarat, 
account for more than 83 per cent of total millet 
production.
  Terming millets as part of India's 'Super Food Bucket', 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed out that the 
nutri-rich coarse grain will reach every corner of 
Kurukshetra       February  2024 38
the world just as Yoga did. "In India, we have given 
it (millets) the identity of Shree Anna. Millets are 
also the most secure crops for small farmers as they 
are resilient and climate-adaptable in both hot and 
drought environments. India produces all the nine 
commonly known traditional Millets, viz., sorghum, 
pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, 
little millet, barnyard millet, browntop millet, and 
kodo millet. Millet is a common term for categorising 
small-seeded grasses that are often called Nutri-
cereals. Most of the states in India grow one or more 
millet crop species. 
  The Government of India spearheaded the United 
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution for 
declaring the year 2023 as the International Year 
of Millets and the proposal of India was supported 
by 72 countries. Millets are making a resurgence in 
line with the International Year of Millets declared 
by the United Nations. These grains, some of 
the oldest in the world, are rich in protein, fiber, 
minerals, iron, calcium, and have a low glycaemic 
index. Their short growing season makes them 
ideal for multiple cropping systems, both under 
irrigation and dryland farming, and their long shelf 
life has earned them the status of famine reserves. 
Notably, the millet grain varieties are said to be 
intrinsic to future food security given the exigencies 
of climate change and the potential impact on high 
water-usage crops. Millets have been historically 
grown in the country across different varieties and 
remain in the comfort zone of farmers. In response 
to the declaration of the International Year of 
Millets, the Indian government has prioritised their 
promotion through the National Food Security 
Mission and several states are also running their 
own Millet Missions.
  High-yielding varieties, including bio-fortified 
millets, have been introduced to increase production, 
and the Government has recognised the health 
benefits of millets by including them in the POSHAN 
Mission and designating them as nutri-cereals.  
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) 
and Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) 
are promoting farmer producer organisations 
and startups to boost millet production as well 
as technology and value addition in the segment. 
Millet-focused food products are being provided 
support under the Production Linked Incentive 
(PLI) scheme to enhance value addition. The 
recent budget has designated IIMR as a Centre of 
Excellence for sharing millet-related best practices 
and technologies at the international level. Many 
efforts are being made towards mainstreaming 
millets into the consumption basket by way of 
introducing healthier, millet-based value-added 
products. 
Food Processing Industry
The food processing industry has an important 
role to play while India seeks to create a food basket for 
the world. This is increasingly being done by linking the 
farmers to the final consumers in domestic as well as 
international markets. Food processing combined with 
marketing has the potential to solve the basic problems 
of agricultural surpluses, waste, rural jobs, and better 
remuneration for growers. In the next ten years, food 
production is expected to double. These products, 
if processed and marketed smartly, can make India a 
Page 4


Kurukshetra       February  2024 36
Rajiv Theodore
The author is a journalist. Email: rajivtheodore@gmail.com 
Making India Making India 
the Food Basket the Food Basket 
of the World of the World
Currently, India is the second-biggest producer 
of wheat and rice, the two staples. India 
can become the largest food supplier in 
the world. It has cultivable land, all the 
seasons for production of all varieties 
of fruits and vegetables, and an 
agribusiness system that works. By 
building an efficient and effective 
supply chain using state-of-the-
art techniques, it is possible 
to serve the hungry with 
value-added food while 
simultaneously ensuring 
remunerative prices for 
the farmers.
he spectre of a global food shortage 
continues to be a concern. Out 
of 8 billion people on this planet, 
828 million are going hungry every 
day. A total of 29.6% of the global 
population does not have adequate access to food. 
Around 9 million people die from hunger-related 
causes every year; many are children under the age 
of 5. Even if we rebound from the economic fallout 
of the pandemic, the UN predicts that we may fall 
well short of our goal for Zero Hunger by 2030. At 
the end of this decade, it is estimated that there will 
still be 670 million people facing hunger. Over 122 
million more people have been facing hunger in the 
world since 2019 due to the pandemic and repeated 
weather shocks, according to the latest State of Food 
Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report 
published jointly by five United Nations specialised 
agencies. If trends remain as they are, the Sustainable 
Development Goal of ending hunger by 2030 may not 
be reached, the Food and Agriculture Organization 
of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund 
for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United 
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health 
T
37 Kurukshetra       February  2024
Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme 
(WFP) warn. 
However, amidst this scenario there is much more 
than a ray of hope—India, which has enough food for its 
people, is geared up to supply food stocks to the world 
if the World Trade Organization (WTO) allows, Prime 
Minister Narendra Modi had told the US President Joe 
Biden in their virtual meeting recently. “We already 
have enough food for our people but our farmers seem 
to have made arrangements to feed the world.” He 
added that “the world is facing a new problem now. 
The food stock of the world is getting empty if WTO 
permits, India is ready to supply food stock to the world 
from tomorrow.” The global food crisis has already 
seen Indian traders signing contracts for exporting 
food grains of about 30 lakh (3 million) tonnes during 
the April-July period. The official projection suggests 
another bumper harvest of wheat at over 110 million 
tonnes this season.
At home, the investor-friendly policies by the 
Government are taking the food sector to new heights 
with the creation of an agri-export policy, bolstering 
a nationwide logistics and infrastructure framework, 
setting up 100 district-level hubs connecting the district 
to global markets, and increasing the number of mega 
food parks from 2 to more than 20. All this has jacked 
up India’s food processing capacity from 12 lakh metric 
tonnes to more than 200 lakh metric tonnes, which is 
15 times more than it was in the last nine years. Prime 
Minister Modi gave examples of agricultural produce 
that are being exported from India for the first time 
and mentioned black garlic from Himachal Pradesh, 
dragon fruit from Jammu & Kashmir, soya milk powder 
from Madhya Pradesh, Karkitchoo apples from Ladakh, 
Cavendish banana from Punjab, Gucchi Mushrooms 
from Jammu, and Raw honey from Karnataka.
Can India Do This?
Currently, India is the second-biggest producer of 
wheat and rice, the two staples. It has a stock of over 850 
lakh (85 million) tonnes, of which 513 lakh (51.3 million) 
are with the Food Corporation of India and another 340 
lakh (34 million) tonnes of unmilled paddy lying with 
states have provided a cushion to the government to 
make an offer to supply foodgrains to other countries. 
Of this stock, 21 million tonnes are segregated as its 
strategic reserve and 
the Public Distribution 
System (PDS), which 
has bettered its 
reputation during the 
Covid-19 pandemic 
by providing food to 
about 80 crore (800 
million) people, as 
per the Government 
figures. Indian 
supplies can also 
calm down rising 
commodity prices. 
India supplies some 
of the cheapest 
wheat and rice. India 
exports wheat to 
about 70 countries 
and rice to about 150. 
Some of the 
strengths outlined below underline India’s intent to be 
the world’s food supplier:
Millets
  India could help mitigate the world food crisis by 
offering millets. India is the largest producer of 
millets in the world. India’s two varieties of millets, 
namely pearl millet (bajra) and sorghum (jowar), 
will together contribute approximately 19 per cent 
in world production in 2020. India’s pearl millet 
production accounts for 40.51 per cent followed by 
sorghum 8.09 per cent in the world production of 
millets in 2020. The major millet producing states in 
India are Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar 
Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil 
Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Together, 
these ten states account for around 98 per cent 
of millets production in India during the period 
2020-21. Six states, namely Rajasthan, Karnataka, 
Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Gujarat, 
account for more than 83 per cent of total millet 
production.
  Terming millets as part of India's 'Super Food Bucket', 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed out that the 
nutri-rich coarse grain will reach every corner of 
Kurukshetra       February  2024 38
the world just as Yoga did. "In India, we have given 
it (millets) the identity of Shree Anna. Millets are 
also the most secure crops for small farmers as they 
are resilient and climate-adaptable in both hot and 
drought environments. India produces all the nine 
commonly known traditional Millets, viz., sorghum, 
pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, 
little millet, barnyard millet, browntop millet, and 
kodo millet. Millet is a common term for categorising 
small-seeded grasses that are often called Nutri-
cereals. Most of the states in India grow one or more 
millet crop species. 
  The Government of India spearheaded the United 
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution for 
declaring the year 2023 as the International Year 
of Millets and the proposal of India was supported 
by 72 countries. Millets are making a resurgence in 
line with the International Year of Millets declared 
by the United Nations. These grains, some of 
the oldest in the world, are rich in protein, fiber, 
minerals, iron, calcium, and have a low glycaemic 
index. Their short growing season makes them 
ideal for multiple cropping systems, both under 
irrigation and dryland farming, and their long shelf 
life has earned them the status of famine reserves. 
Notably, the millet grain varieties are said to be 
intrinsic to future food security given the exigencies 
of climate change and the potential impact on high 
water-usage crops. Millets have been historically 
grown in the country across different varieties and 
remain in the comfort zone of farmers. In response 
to the declaration of the International Year of 
Millets, the Indian government has prioritised their 
promotion through the National Food Security 
Mission and several states are also running their 
own Millet Missions.
  High-yielding varieties, including bio-fortified 
millets, have been introduced to increase production, 
and the Government has recognised the health 
benefits of millets by including them in the POSHAN 
Mission and designating them as nutri-cereals.  
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) 
and Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) 
are promoting farmer producer organisations 
and startups to boost millet production as well 
as technology and value addition in the segment. 
Millet-focused food products are being provided 
support under the Production Linked Incentive 
(PLI) scheme to enhance value addition. The 
recent budget has designated IIMR as a Centre of 
Excellence for sharing millet-related best practices 
and technologies at the international level. Many 
efforts are being made towards mainstreaming 
millets into the consumption basket by way of 
introducing healthier, millet-based value-added 
products. 
Food Processing Industry
The food processing industry has an important 
role to play while India seeks to create a food basket for 
the world. This is increasingly being done by linking the 
farmers to the final consumers in domestic as well as 
international markets. Food processing combined with 
marketing has the potential to solve the basic problems 
of agricultural surpluses, waste, rural jobs, and better 
remuneration for growers. In the next ten years, food 
production is expected to double. These products, 
if processed and marketed smartly, can make India a 
39 Kurukshetra       February  2024
Food Packaging  
Packaging is also emerging as a key ingredient as 
the country marches towards creating a food basket for 
the world. Dairy products, edible oils, farm products, 
sugar, fruit juices, concentrates, preserves, hot and cold 
beverages, breakfast foods, biscuits, confectionery, 
and atta are some major foods of daily necessities, 
and through packaging, India is able to distribute 
these products worldwide. Packages have become the 
competitive tool to reach the consumer, and the task 
assumes increasing responsibility with more and more 
competitive and substitute products being introduced. 
This has opened the sector for the introduction of 
modern technology for processing and packaging 
and the entry of a host of new organisations from all 
sectors of the economy, both domestic and overseas. 
Prime Minister Modi has himself disclosed that since 
2014, India has been able to attract Rs. 50,000 crore 
in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the food and food 
processing sectors.
Standards
Standardisation is a powerful tool for improving 
supply chain efficiency, which the Government is 
fastidious about. There are two kinds of standards 
in the food supply chain. The first one is the food 
standard, which concerns itself with the content, the 
manufacturing process, the packaging, etc. There 
are several such standards for dairy, poultry, etc. The 
second standard concerns logistics and IT systems like 
standardisation of cartons, pallets, and IT software 
so that seamless transfer of goods and information is 
possible. This assumes significance as food safety and 
hygiene are growing concerns across the world. There 
is an increasing need to provide greater assurance 
about the safety and quality of food to consumers. 
The increase in world food trade and the advent of the 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement under the 
World Trade Organization (WTO) have led to increasing 
recognition and adoption of food safety measures. The 
capacity of India to penetrate world markets depends 
on its ability to meet increasingly stringent food safety 
standards imposed in developed countries. Food 
standards are expected to acquire greater importance 
given increasing concerns on food safety on the back of 
breakout of diseases.
leading food supplier in the world. The Government of 
India has set a vision for the sector to achieve a target 
of doubling its contribution to the GDP by 2030. The 
sector’s size is estimated to be around US $ 322 billion, 
and it is expected to reach US $ 543 billion by 2025, 
growing at a CAGR of 14.6%.
Food Supply Chain 
Another key area that would go a long way 
for the country to become the food basket for the 
world is strengthening the Food Supply Chain. India 
is one of the largest food and grocery markets in 
the world, a large consumer of food products, and 
has a huge opportunity to become a leading global 
food supplier through the right marketing strategies 
and an agile, adaptive, and efficient supply chain. 
India has diversity in terms of its population, with 
several religious groups with different food habits 
and cultures. India is well positioned to translate 
this situation into an opportunity and create food 
hubs. Some of it could be the organic food hub, the 
vegetarian food hub, and the sea food hub among 
others. The food supply chain is complex, with 
perishable goods and numerous small stakeholders. 
In India, the infrastructure connecting these partners 
can be strengthened. Each stakeholder: farmers, 
wholesalers, food manufacturers, and retailers- all 
can work together. Also, demand forecasting should 
be there so that the farmers try not to push what they 
produce into the market. Data integration, financial 
flow management, supply-demand matching, 
collaborative forecasting, information sharing, and 
goods movement synchronisation through efficient 
transport scheduling, are very well practised in high 
technology industries with immense benefits. These 
best practices should find their way into the food 
supply chains. Cold chain logistics supply chains are 
today taking advantage of technology improvements 
in data capture and processing, product tracking 
and tracing, synchronised freight transport transit 
times for time compression along the supply chain 
and supply demand matching. Also, the supply chain 
needs to be designed and built as a whole in an 
integrated manner with the processes of new product 
development, procurement and order to delivery 
processes well designed and well supported using IT 
tools and software.
Page 5


Kurukshetra       February  2024 36
Rajiv Theodore
The author is a journalist. Email: rajivtheodore@gmail.com 
Making India Making India 
the Food Basket the Food Basket 
of the World of the World
Currently, India is the second-biggest producer 
of wheat and rice, the two staples. India 
can become the largest food supplier in 
the world. It has cultivable land, all the 
seasons for production of all varieties 
of fruits and vegetables, and an 
agribusiness system that works. By 
building an efficient and effective 
supply chain using state-of-the-
art techniques, it is possible 
to serve the hungry with 
value-added food while 
simultaneously ensuring 
remunerative prices for 
the farmers.
he spectre of a global food shortage 
continues to be a concern. Out 
of 8 billion people on this planet, 
828 million are going hungry every 
day. A total of 29.6% of the global 
population does not have adequate access to food. 
Around 9 million people die from hunger-related 
causes every year; many are children under the age 
of 5. Even if we rebound from the economic fallout 
of the pandemic, the UN predicts that we may fall 
well short of our goal for Zero Hunger by 2030. At 
the end of this decade, it is estimated that there will 
still be 670 million people facing hunger. Over 122 
million more people have been facing hunger in the 
world since 2019 due to the pandemic and repeated 
weather shocks, according to the latest State of Food 
Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report 
published jointly by five United Nations specialised 
agencies. If trends remain as they are, the Sustainable 
Development Goal of ending hunger by 2030 may not 
be reached, the Food and Agriculture Organization 
of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund 
for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United 
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health 
T
37 Kurukshetra       February  2024
Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme 
(WFP) warn. 
However, amidst this scenario there is much more 
than a ray of hope—India, which has enough food for its 
people, is geared up to supply food stocks to the world 
if the World Trade Organization (WTO) allows, Prime 
Minister Narendra Modi had told the US President Joe 
Biden in their virtual meeting recently. “We already 
have enough food for our people but our farmers seem 
to have made arrangements to feed the world.” He 
added that “the world is facing a new problem now. 
The food stock of the world is getting empty if WTO 
permits, India is ready to supply food stock to the world 
from tomorrow.” The global food crisis has already 
seen Indian traders signing contracts for exporting 
food grains of about 30 lakh (3 million) tonnes during 
the April-July period. The official projection suggests 
another bumper harvest of wheat at over 110 million 
tonnes this season.
At home, the investor-friendly policies by the 
Government are taking the food sector to new heights 
with the creation of an agri-export policy, bolstering 
a nationwide logistics and infrastructure framework, 
setting up 100 district-level hubs connecting the district 
to global markets, and increasing the number of mega 
food parks from 2 to more than 20. All this has jacked 
up India’s food processing capacity from 12 lakh metric 
tonnes to more than 200 lakh metric tonnes, which is 
15 times more than it was in the last nine years. Prime 
Minister Modi gave examples of agricultural produce 
that are being exported from India for the first time 
and mentioned black garlic from Himachal Pradesh, 
dragon fruit from Jammu & Kashmir, soya milk powder 
from Madhya Pradesh, Karkitchoo apples from Ladakh, 
Cavendish banana from Punjab, Gucchi Mushrooms 
from Jammu, and Raw honey from Karnataka.
Can India Do This?
Currently, India is the second-biggest producer of 
wheat and rice, the two staples. It has a stock of over 850 
lakh (85 million) tonnes, of which 513 lakh (51.3 million) 
are with the Food Corporation of India and another 340 
lakh (34 million) tonnes of unmilled paddy lying with 
states have provided a cushion to the government to 
make an offer to supply foodgrains to other countries. 
Of this stock, 21 million tonnes are segregated as its 
strategic reserve and 
the Public Distribution 
System (PDS), which 
has bettered its 
reputation during the 
Covid-19 pandemic 
by providing food to 
about 80 crore (800 
million) people, as 
per the Government 
figures. Indian 
supplies can also 
calm down rising 
commodity prices. 
India supplies some 
of the cheapest 
wheat and rice. India 
exports wheat to 
about 70 countries 
and rice to about 150. 
Some of the 
strengths outlined below underline India’s intent to be 
the world’s food supplier:
Millets
  India could help mitigate the world food crisis by 
offering millets. India is the largest producer of 
millets in the world. India’s two varieties of millets, 
namely pearl millet (bajra) and sorghum (jowar), 
will together contribute approximately 19 per cent 
in world production in 2020. India’s pearl millet 
production accounts for 40.51 per cent followed by 
sorghum 8.09 per cent in the world production of 
millets in 2020. The major millet producing states in 
India are Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar 
Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil 
Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Together, 
these ten states account for around 98 per cent 
of millets production in India during the period 
2020-21. Six states, namely Rajasthan, Karnataka, 
Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Gujarat, 
account for more than 83 per cent of total millet 
production.
  Terming millets as part of India's 'Super Food Bucket', 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed out that the 
nutri-rich coarse grain will reach every corner of 
Kurukshetra       February  2024 38
the world just as Yoga did. "In India, we have given 
it (millets) the identity of Shree Anna. Millets are 
also the most secure crops for small farmers as they 
are resilient and climate-adaptable in both hot and 
drought environments. India produces all the nine 
commonly known traditional Millets, viz., sorghum, 
pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, 
little millet, barnyard millet, browntop millet, and 
kodo millet. Millet is a common term for categorising 
small-seeded grasses that are often called Nutri-
cereals. Most of the states in India grow one or more 
millet crop species. 
  The Government of India spearheaded the United 
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution for 
declaring the year 2023 as the International Year 
of Millets and the proposal of India was supported 
by 72 countries. Millets are making a resurgence in 
line with the International Year of Millets declared 
by the United Nations. These grains, some of 
the oldest in the world, are rich in protein, fiber, 
minerals, iron, calcium, and have a low glycaemic 
index. Their short growing season makes them 
ideal for multiple cropping systems, both under 
irrigation and dryland farming, and their long shelf 
life has earned them the status of famine reserves. 
Notably, the millet grain varieties are said to be 
intrinsic to future food security given the exigencies 
of climate change and the potential impact on high 
water-usage crops. Millets have been historically 
grown in the country across different varieties and 
remain in the comfort zone of farmers. In response 
to the declaration of the International Year of 
Millets, the Indian government has prioritised their 
promotion through the National Food Security 
Mission and several states are also running their 
own Millet Missions.
  High-yielding varieties, including bio-fortified 
millets, have been introduced to increase production, 
and the Government has recognised the health 
benefits of millets by including them in the POSHAN 
Mission and designating them as nutri-cereals.  
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) 
and Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) 
are promoting farmer producer organisations 
and startups to boost millet production as well 
as technology and value addition in the segment. 
Millet-focused food products are being provided 
support under the Production Linked Incentive 
(PLI) scheme to enhance value addition. The 
recent budget has designated IIMR as a Centre of 
Excellence for sharing millet-related best practices 
and technologies at the international level. Many 
efforts are being made towards mainstreaming 
millets into the consumption basket by way of 
introducing healthier, millet-based value-added 
products. 
Food Processing Industry
The food processing industry has an important 
role to play while India seeks to create a food basket for 
the world. This is increasingly being done by linking the 
farmers to the final consumers in domestic as well as 
international markets. Food processing combined with 
marketing has the potential to solve the basic problems 
of agricultural surpluses, waste, rural jobs, and better 
remuneration for growers. In the next ten years, food 
production is expected to double. These products, 
if processed and marketed smartly, can make India a 
39 Kurukshetra       February  2024
Food Packaging  
Packaging is also emerging as a key ingredient as 
the country marches towards creating a food basket for 
the world. Dairy products, edible oils, farm products, 
sugar, fruit juices, concentrates, preserves, hot and cold 
beverages, breakfast foods, biscuits, confectionery, 
and atta are some major foods of daily necessities, 
and through packaging, India is able to distribute 
these products worldwide. Packages have become the 
competitive tool to reach the consumer, and the task 
assumes increasing responsibility with more and more 
competitive and substitute products being introduced. 
This has opened the sector for the introduction of 
modern technology for processing and packaging 
and the entry of a host of new organisations from all 
sectors of the economy, both domestic and overseas. 
Prime Minister Modi has himself disclosed that since 
2014, India has been able to attract Rs. 50,000 crore 
in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the food and food 
processing sectors.
Standards
Standardisation is a powerful tool for improving 
supply chain efficiency, which the Government is 
fastidious about. There are two kinds of standards 
in the food supply chain. The first one is the food 
standard, which concerns itself with the content, the 
manufacturing process, the packaging, etc. There 
are several such standards for dairy, poultry, etc. The 
second standard concerns logistics and IT systems like 
standardisation of cartons, pallets, and IT software 
so that seamless transfer of goods and information is 
possible. This assumes significance as food safety and 
hygiene are growing concerns across the world. There 
is an increasing need to provide greater assurance 
about the safety and quality of food to consumers. 
The increase in world food trade and the advent of the 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement under the 
World Trade Organization (WTO) have led to increasing 
recognition and adoption of food safety measures. The 
capacity of India to penetrate world markets depends 
on its ability to meet increasingly stringent food safety 
standards imposed in developed countries. Food 
standards are expected to acquire greater importance 
given increasing concerns on food safety on the back of 
breakout of diseases.
leading food supplier in the world. The Government of 
India has set a vision for the sector to achieve a target 
of doubling its contribution to the GDP by 2030. The 
sector’s size is estimated to be around US $ 322 billion, 
and it is expected to reach US $ 543 billion by 2025, 
growing at a CAGR of 14.6%.
Food Supply Chain 
Another key area that would go a long way 
for the country to become the food basket for the 
world is strengthening the Food Supply Chain. India 
is one of the largest food and grocery markets in 
the world, a large consumer of food products, and 
has a huge opportunity to become a leading global 
food supplier through the right marketing strategies 
and an agile, adaptive, and efficient supply chain. 
India has diversity in terms of its population, with 
several religious groups with different food habits 
and cultures. India is well positioned to translate 
this situation into an opportunity and create food 
hubs. Some of it could be the organic food hub, the 
vegetarian food hub, and the sea food hub among 
others. The food supply chain is complex, with 
perishable goods and numerous small stakeholders. 
In India, the infrastructure connecting these partners 
can be strengthened. Each stakeholder: farmers, 
wholesalers, food manufacturers, and retailers- all 
can work together. Also, demand forecasting should 
be there so that the farmers try not to push what they 
produce into the market. Data integration, financial 
flow management, supply-demand matching, 
collaborative forecasting, information sharing, and 
goods movement synchronisation through efficient 
transport scheduling, are very well practised in high 
technology industries with immense benefits. These 
best practices should find their way into the food 
supply chains. Cold chain logistics supply chains are 
today taking advantage of technology improvements 
in data capture and processing, product tracking 
and tracing, synchronised freight transport transit 
times for time compression along the supply chain 
and supply demand matching. Also, the supply chain 
needs to be designed and built as a whole in an 
integrated manner with the processes of new product 
development, procurement and order to delivery 
processes well designed and well supported using IT 
tools and software.
Kurukshetra       February  2024 40
PM-JANMAN
Towards Benefiting the Tribal Community
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first instalment 
to 1 lakh beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin  
(PMAY-G) under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan 
(PM-JANMAN) via video conferencing on 15
th
 January, 2024. He also 
interacted with the beneficiaries of PM-JANMAN.
Shri Modi said, the goal of PM-JANMAN Maha Abhiyan is 
to benefit every member of the tribal community through the 
Government schemes. He informed that within two months, PM-
JANMAN mega campaign has achieved the results that others could 
only dream of. 
Recalling the challenges during the inauguration of PM-JANMAN 
on the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa  Munda, Shri Modi 
mentioned the difficulties in taking the benefits to far-flung, remote 
and border areas of the country which are home to tribal communities.
Explaining why the scheme was called JANMAN, the Prime Minister said, “‘Jan’ means the people and ‘Mann’ 
means their ‘Mann Ki Baat’ or their inner voice.” He reiterated that all the wishes of the tribal communities will 
now be fulfilled as the government plans to spend more than Rs. 23,000 crores on PM-JANMAN mega campaign. 
Talking about providing pucca houses to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), he said, money has 
been transferred directly to the accounts of tribal beneficiaries. They will get 2.5 lakh rupees for a pucca house 
which will be a source of dignified living with electricity, gas connection, pipe water and toilet. He said, these one 
lakh beneficiaries are just the beginning and the government will reach each and every deserving candidate.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs also generating awareness regarding PM-JANMAN. 
The Background
In line with the Prime Minister's efforts towards the vision of Antyodaya to empower the last person at the last 
mile, PM-JANMAN was launched for the socio-economic welfare of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) 
on 15
th
 November 2023, on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas.
PM-JANMAN, with a budget of approximately Rs. 24,000 crores focuses on 11 critical interventions through 
9 Ministries and is aimed to improve socio-economic conditions of the PVTGs by saturating PVTG households 
and habitations with basic facilities such as safe housing, clean drinking water and sanitation, improved access to 
education, health and nutrition, electricity, road and telecom connectivity, and sustainable livelihood opportunities. 
(Source: PIB)
Conclusion 
India can become the largest food supplier in 
the world. It has cultivable land, all the seasons for 
production of all varieties of fruits and vegetables, 
and an agribusiness system that works, although it 
needs to be improved. Shortcomings that need to 
be addressed are mostly in the area of supply chain 
management. By building an efficient and effective 
supply chain using state-of-the-art techniques, it is 
possible to serve the hungry with value-added food 
while simultaneously ensuring remunerative prices for 
the farmers. The surplus of cereals, fruits, vegetables, 
milk, fish, meat, and poultry can be processed as 
value-added food products and marketed aggressively 
both locally and internationally. Investments in cold 
chain infrastructure, applied research in post-harvest 
technologies, the installation of food processing plants 
in various sectors, and the development of the food 
retailing sector are mandatory for achieving gains in 
this sector.  ?