AAPI

DELHI, February 2026

Index of this Newsletter

INDIA

INDIA & THE WORLD

21. India-EU Free Trade Agreement: A Game-Changer for Global Trade and Economic Diplomacy
22. India Submarine Deal: Government pact to clear way for $10 billion submarine deal with Germany,
23. US–India Unveil Interim Trade Framework; India to Cut Tariffs on US Food and Agri Products
24. Big Wins for European Farmers, Calibrated Gains for Indian Agriculture in EU Trade Deal
25. Which country is the largest producer of sweet potato?

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DELHI, February 2026

NEWSLETTER, February 2026

INDIA

– GENERAL POLICY, INFRASTRUCTURES, COUNTRY FINANCES, ETC.

1. India EU Trade Deal: India Emerges Victorious in Groundbreaking India-EU Trade Deal as US Applauds

ET Gov. 30 Jan.2026

India has secured a significant trade advantage with the European Union. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer believes India will greatly benefit from this agreement.

India came out on “top” in the trade deal with the European Union and is going to have a heyday with this, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in the first reaction from the Trump administration on the free trade agreement.

Greer was responding to a question on the trade agreement, billed as the "mother of all deals", sealed between India and the EU on Tuesday.

“I've looked at some of the details of the deal so far. I think India comes out on top on this, frankly. They get more market access into Europe," Greer said in an interview with Fox Business on Tuesday.

“It sounds like they (India) have some additional immigration rights. I don't know for sure, but President (Ursula) von der Leyen of the EU has talked about mobility for Indian workers into Europe. So I think on net, India is going to have a heyday with this. They have low-cost labour," Greeer added.

He said that it looks like the EU is doubling down on globalisation when the US is trying to "fix some of the problems of globalisation here in the US."

He added: "So the EU is turning to India to try to find a place. The EU is so trade dependent, they need other outlets if they can't keep sending all their stuff to the United States. " he added.

2. Unlocking Financial Inclusion: Women-Centered Solutions for Sustainable Growth

ET Gov. 20 Jan. 2026

Kalpana Ajayan, Regional Head—South Asia at Women’s World Banking, operates at the intersection of financial inclusion, institutional reform, and women’s economic empowerment, at a time when development practice is being reshaped by climate volatility, public digital infrastructure, and the search for scalable last-mile solutions.

In this conversation with Anoop Verma, conducted on the sidelines of the Global Inclusive Finance Summit 2026, Ajayan reflects on Women’s World Banking’s 45-year journey—from its founding vision of advancing women’s empowerment through financial inclusion to its present-day focus on women-centred design that brings entire households into the formal financial system.

Edited excerpts:

Women’s World Banking has a long history. How did the organisation begin, and what was the founding idea?

Women’s World Banking was started 45 years ago by three women who met in Mexico City at the first UN World Conference on Women—each from a very different background. One was a Wall Street banker from the United States, Michaela Walsh. One was Ela Bhatt from India, a lawyer by training and profession, and widely regarded as the mother of the microfinance movement in the country. And Esther Afua Ocloo, a Ghanaian entrepreneur and microenterprise activist.

They asked a fundamental question: what is the best route to women’s empowerment? The understanding they arrived at was that economic empowerment is among the most powerful forms of empowerment, and financial inclusion is a critical route to achieve it. That logic has kept the organisation narrowly focused on women and financial inclusion for the last 45 years.

Now, as we shape the next strategy plan, we are also looking at intersectional areas that affect women’s financial empowerment—health and climate in particular. Climate shocks, for instance, can wipe out savings overnight. A woman may be earning, but one event can take away everything she has been able to put aside. That is why climate is now central to the inclusion agenda.

Your organisation speaks often about women-centred design. Why is that emphasis so important?

One key learning from our work is this: when you design solutions for women, men get included too. We do not exclude men—men benefit from women-centred solutions. But when solutions are designed for men, women often get left out. That is precisely why we focus on women-centred design. As of 2025, we have reached 117 million women, and through the same solutions, we have also reached about 76 million men. We count that because it matters—solutions designed well for women tend to scale inclusively.

Over four decades, what would you identify as the organisation’s major evolution in how it works?

For the first 40 years, we worked across the globe primarily through networks of institutions — especially MFIs. We did not have people on the ground. There were no regional offices. Teams would fly in from New York, do the work, and fly out—whether it was Indonesia, South America, Africa, or elsewhere.

In 2018, we crafted a 10-year strategy toward 2027. Two major implications followed. First, for the first time, we set an ambitious number—100 million reach, out of what we estimated to be a billion women left out of the formal financial system. Second, we chose priority markets where we wanted deeper ground impact. That led to regional presence and focus in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa.

In South Asia, most work is in India, with work also in Bangladesh, and historically in Pakistan. In Southeast Asia, we work in multiple countries—primarily Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and now the Philippines. In Africa, earlier the work was concentrated in Nigeria, and more recently we have included Kenya as well.

Women’s World Banking is known as a nonprofit. But you also invest. How does that structure work?

Women’s World Banking is a nonprofit. Alongside it, we also have an asset management company because the model is not only about grant-funded work. We raise funds and invest in businesses that are focused on women or run by women. We also believe strongly in leadership: when women are in leadership across levels, organisations naturally focus more on women—and the business benefits.

The asset management business is not very large compared to global impact investors, but it is meaningful. We have raised capital in multiple rounds and about $116 million has been deployed so far in 22 financial instituions across 14 countries.

In India, some of our past investments include Annapurna Finance, Ujjivan (when it was still an MFI), an investment in Bike Bazaar (a lending company), and Sitara (a housing finance company by SEWA). In Southeast Asia, some of our investments have been in an insurtech company called Igloo. In Africa, one of our investments has been in Pula, which is an agri-insure tech company.

So is the main operating model primarily through investment in companies doing ground-level work?

That is only one part—the asset management company. The nonprofit is the main engine and the bulk of the work. To put it simply: the nonprofit is funded by governments, foundations, and donors, and that is where most ground-level advisory and implementation happens. The asset management company is also powerful—it is a way of saying we put our money behind what we believe in—but the nonprofit remains the main driver.

How do you define the core pillars of your work?

Broadly, our work can be broken into five pillars. First is advisory. We design solutions, pilot them, and then scale or replicate them across geographies. For example, what we did with Jan Dhan Plus in India has been replicated in parts of Africa. Remittances work in Indonesia has also been replicated elsewhere.

Second is asset management, which we discussed—investing in financial service providers to expand their capacity to serve women sustainably. Third is research. Everything we do is research-led. We speak to stakeholders at the micro, meso, and macro levels—end beneficiaries, financial service providers, and governments/regulators. One distinguishing factor is that we do extensive work with financial service providers. Not many organisations do that.

Our teams largely come from banking backgrounds. I am myself a banker with around 25 years of experience, and my team includes bankers with 15, 25, 30 years of experience. We understand the language banks speak across products—credit, savings, insurance, pensions, payments. Any product that brings a woman into the formal financial system is part of what we consider a solution.

Our publications are widely referenced. If someone is doing deep academic work on women’s empowerment, they will often find citations from Women’s World Banking because there are few institutions that have done research at this depth. Much of it is public-good research and is available for access.

Fourth is leadership and diversity (LDR). We ask: are there enough women in leadership roles in policy and regulatory institutions, and are they trained to influence effectively? Regulators need both hard and soft skills—they have to influence institutions, not only dictate. We have run this program for 10–12 years, with a current partnership with Oxford University’s Saïd Business School.

We bring in regulators from around the world—around 102 policy and regulatory institutions, from 53 countries have participated. It is a six-month program culminating in a one-week stay at Oxford, and it builds a powerful cohort. Our alumni include amongst others, the central bank governor of Rwanda, who joined as a junior person and later rose. Rwanda’s central bank has some of the most inclusive policies.

Fifth is advocacy. We need partners and platforms, including media, to push the inclusion agenda. We are also one of the few affiliate partners in the G20’s Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), which has been operating for around 15 years, bringing together central banks and finance ministries of G20 nations. When India led the G20 in 2023, our work on Jan Dhan Plus was taken as a case study by the World Bank and published as a reference on inclusion at scale.

You mentioned Jan Dhan Plus becoming a case study. What makes India’s inclusion model stand out globally?

A fundamental element is India’s digital public infrastructure—the combination of identity, banking, and payments. Many countries might have one layer but not the others. In some parts of Africa, for instance, inclusion is heavily wallet-driven. That has brought many people into financial services, but often outside the banking system. India could have gone that way, but it built DPI so payments can connect into the banking system rather than creating a separate ecosystem.

Also, I have found Indian regulators—across RBI and IRDAI—open to engagement. They will hear you out patiently. Whether they accept your suggestion is a different matter, but they are open to discussions and multiple viewpoints. I speak from both perspectives: as a commercial banker and now in the development sector.

Measuring impact in this kind of work can be difficult. How do you define success?

This is a fair question and a complicated one. In the development sector, there is significant emphasis on what is called the measurement, evaluation, and learning agenda. If people open bank accounts, is that success? What if accounts remain dormant? Globally, the most accepted benchmark measures two things: access and usage. We work closely with the global index that tracks this.

In India, the central bank has added a third dimension: quality—consumer protection, awareness, complaint resolution, and quality of usage. So the framework becomes access, usage, and quality. For specific programs, we use programmatic measures that align the agendas of three parties: the funder, the financial institution partner, and Women’s World Banking. Outputs are easier to measure; outcomes are harder.

To measure women’s economic empowerment, we follow a model associated with the economist Martha Chen. It looks at multiple dimensions: Material outcomes, Relational outcomes (does she have a voice in household financial decisions?), Cognitive outcomes (knowledge and comfort in using products) and Perceptional outcomes (does she feel empowered?) The perceptional dimension takes the longest to evidence because perceptions change slowly.

We also use rigorous evaluation methods such as randomized controlled trials (RCTs), though they are expensive and time-consuming. We do baseline and endline comparisons and typically need a multi-year horizon. We have conducted RCTs across geographies, and reports are available, including work with Indian Bank and Bank of Baroda, as well as a Jan Dhan Plus report on the work we have dne with the Jan dhan Accounts. The other evolution we see is how measurement and evaluation can lead to learning outcomes, thereby creating a crucial feedback loop for program effectiveness, otherwise, you are effectively starting from scratch each time.

In India, where do you see the biggest challenge—and the biggest opportunity—in financial inclusion for women?

India has long focused on inclusion, partly due to its socialist roots, which is also why public sector banks and government-held insurers play such a major role. But one key advocacy point we make is that inclusion should not be treated as CSR or as inherently unprofitable. If it is not mainstreamed into the core product strategy of financial institutions, it remains a pilot that dies out. The work must demonstrate a viable business proposition.

A classic example is our work with SIDBI’s Prayaas. The self-help group movement has been around for roughly 30 years and is one of the big successes of this country. Group lending is widely accepted because risk is shared within group. But it often remains only the first step. After group loans, women entrepreneurs need a second step—individual loans for inventory, machines, growth. Two problems arise. First, much of the internal lending within group system is outside formal reporting, so the individual woman’s credit footprint is not captured. Second, lenders often have limited risk appetite because collateral is almost absent.

The challenge is how to improve risk appetite and graduate women from group credit to individual credit. This is where we designed a model around Cluster Level Federations (CLFs)—federations with governance, balance sheets, annual reporting, and measurable discipline. Many CLFs cover around 3,000 women. The model works because it solves issues around affordability, incentives, and distribution. SIDBI can lend at around 12%, improving affordability. We designed the intermediation so the CLF earns around 2% as intermediation income, strengthening its own balance sheet and ensuring “skin in the game.” The CLF helps identify borrowers, service the loan, and manage collections—end-to-end.

Results have been strong: the program has reached around 1900 women, across multiple geographies, end-to-end digital, with negligible NPAs. The women report that unlike traditional banking delays, once approved the loan reaches their bank account within three days. Women’s World Banking also builds borrower capability—responsible borrowing, bookkeeping, UPI safety, and credit-score awareness. In field visits, women can tell you their CIBIL score and take pride in maintaining it. We also measure scalability, replicability, and long-term profitability. We have expanded into four states, and Tamil Nadu has expressed interest in doing this through Panchayati Raj-linked federations.

Are you also working on market access—helping women find buyers and scale beyond credit?

Market access is a big need. We have done some work in Maharashtra and are exploring other possibilities. Platforms like ONDC and GeM exist, but I would be cautious about claiming scalable success models yet. We have research underway to understand what can work at scale, and government support is essential—central, state, dand istrict.

On insurance, what is the direction of your work in India?

Insurance is critical for resilience—especially in the context of climate shocks. There is a national push like “Insurance for All,” but uptake is not automatic. We are currently working with PNB MetLife with support from a MetLife grant, focused on places like Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. We design products, simplify communication, and enable distribution through camps coordinated with district administrations.

This work is field-intensive. Teams coordinate permissions with district magistrates, work with local administration, and leverage last-mile influencers like the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) network and postal agents. Women’s World Banking does not “sell” the product; the IPPB agent or relevant institutional staff sells it, but we enable the full ecosystem—product, messaging, camps, onboarding.

Our policy work is built on what we see at the ground level. We are not a think tank offering abstract ideas. We take evidence from implementation and translate it into recommendations for ministries and regulators. That is why governments take our input seriously—we can show what worked, what women responded to, and what the friction points are.

You raised the concern that insurance can become exploitative in some countries. What precautions should India take, especially on health insurance?

Health insurance is the most complicated of all insurance lines. In India, complexity increases because life insurers, general insurers, and standalone health insurers can all offer health. And health is largely a state matter, so policies vary by state. The U.S. system has its own structural issues. The U.K. system is different again—healthcare is accessible but waiting times can be long. There is no single model to copy.

In India, the bottom of the pyramid is relatively well covered through social security schemes and state health plans, and the top can afford private coverage. The challenge is the “missing middle”—people earning modestly, able to pay something, but unable to access products that are affordable and well-designed for their segment.

Product innovation matters, but in practice, the bigger innovation opportunity is distribution. Insurance is fundamentally a distribution business. If you solve distribution, you solve the business. The key question is: what distribution model can serve the last mile for a complex product—fintech alone, insurtech, or a hybrid model with physical agents for enrollment and trust? India has stayed away from microinsurance as a distinct sector, relying instead on mainstream insurers to serve smaller-ticket segments, but the distribution and aggregation economics remain challenging.

This is why experimentation is necessary. We have to keep testing models, be prepared to fail, and work with insurers and regulators to build credible pathways.

Finally, looking ahead five years, what do you see as the main opportunities and challenges in women’s financial inclusion globally?

Our estimate is that a very large number of women globally remain excluded from formal financial systems. We believe it is now closer to around 700 million women who are still outside the formal system and are also among the most vulnerable to shocks—climate, health, financial crises—because these risks intersect.

Women’s World Banking is drafting its next five-year plan. We are looking at strategic partnerships, funding models, and distribution models to reach scale against a very large gap. The objective remains to bring as many women as possible into the formal financial system, because without that foundation, empowerment remains fragile.

3. Budget 2026: A Game Changer for India’s Cooperative Economy

ET Gov. 11 Feb. 2026

One of the most consequential aspects of Budget 2026 is its recognition of the unique, multi-tiered structure of cooperatives from primary societies to federations and national-level institutions.

The Union Budget 2026 marks a significant milestone in India’s cooperative journey. At a time when the nation is recalibrating its growth strategy to be more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable, the Budget sends a clear and reassuring signal: cooperatives are central to India’s economic architecture, not peripheral to it.

The cooperative sector expresses its deep appreciation to the Prime Minister for his visionary leadership in restoring the cooperative movement to the heart of national policy. The sustained and focused stewardship of the Union Home and Cooperation Minister has ensured that cooperatives are being strengthened as professionally governed, member-centric economic institutions. Budget 2026 reflects this larger vision with clarity and conviction.

A Budget That Understands the Cooperative Structure

One of the most consequential aspects of Budget 2026 is its recognition of the unique, multi-tiered structure of cooperatives from primary societies to federations and national-level institutions. Unlike investor-owned enterprises, cooperatives operate on principles of mutuality and surplus distribution to members. Taxation policies that fail to recognise this structure risk undermining the very foundation of cooperation.

In this context, the targeted tax reforms announced in Budget 2026 provide long-awaited relief and structural correction. These measures will enhance liquidity, prevent unintended double taxation, and strengthen financial sustainability across the cooperative value chain.

Strengthening Primary Cooperatives and Allied Agriculture

The Budget has extended the existing income tax deduction available to primary cooperative societies. Earlier, this deduction was limited to cooperatives supplying milk, oilseeds, fruits, or vegetables produced by their members. Budget 2026 has thoughtfully widened its scope to include primary cooperatives supplying cattle feed and cotton seed produced by their members.

This expansion has important implications. It recognises the growing role of cooperatives in allied agricultural activities and strengthens backward and forward linkages in rural economies. By allowing this deduction when supplies are made to federal cooperatives, government organisations, and other eligible entities, the Budget directly supports inter-cooperative trade and value-chain integration, an area critical for fertiliser, dairy, and input cooperatives alike.

Addressing Double Taxation: Restoring Fairness and Neutrality

A particularly welcome reform in Budget 2026 relates to the taxation of surplus distribution within the cooperative system. Under the new tax regime, the absence of deduction for dividend income received by one cooperative from another had created the risk of double taxation, first at the level of the distributing cooperative and again at the level of members.

The Budget corrects this anomaly by allowing dividend income received by a cooperative society from another cooperative society as a deduction, provided such income is further distributed to members. This provision restores tax neutrality and fairness, ensuring that cooperatives are not penalised for adhering to their core principle of member-oriented surplus distribution.

For large federated cooperatives such as KRIBHCO, this reform strengthens internal capital circulation while preserving member benefits.

Support for National Cooperative Federations

Another forward-looking provision in Budget 2026 is the three-year exemption on dividend income received by a notified national cooperative federation from investments made in companies up to January 31, 2026. This exemption is conditional upon the income being distributed onward to member cooperatives.

This provision acknowledges the strategic role played by national federations in pooling resources, investing prudently, and redistributing gains across the cooperative network. By linking the exemption to member-level distribution, the Budget ensures that fiscal benefits flow through the system and reinforce cooperative solidarity rather than accumulate at the apex.

Digital Transformation and Professionalisation

Beyond taxation, Budget 2026 reinforces the broader policy direction of strengthening institutions through digitalisation and professional management. India’s digital public infrastructure offers cooperatives an opportunity to improve transparency, logistics efficiency, and member service delivery.

For fertiliser cooperatives, digital integration across procurement, distribution, soil health advisory, and logistics can significantly enhance operational efficiency while ensuring timely and equitable access for farmers. The Budget’s emphasis on capacity creation rather than mere compliance is therefore particularly encouraging.

Green Growth and Sustainable Cooperatives

The Budget’s continued focus on renewable energy and sustainability opens new pathways for cooperatives to participate in India’s green transition. Cooperatives, with their decentralised footprint and collective ownership, are well positioned to integrate renewable energy, resource-efficient practices, and climate-aligned initiatives into their operations, creating both environmental and economic value for members.

A Cooperative Pathway to Viksit Bharat

As India advances towards the vision of Viksit Bharat, cooperatives offer a development model that harmonises economic growth with equity, scale with participation, and efficiency with accountability. Budget 2026 reinforces this model by easing tax burdens, encouraging surplus distribution to members, and strengthening cooperative institutions at every level.

The cooperative sector once again acknowledges with gratitude the leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the Hon’ble Home and Cooperation Minister for their unwavering commitment to cooperative-led development. Budget 2026 is not merely a fiscal document. It is a policy affirmation that cooperatives are vital partners in India’s growth journey.

For KRIBHCO and the wider cooperative family, this Budget provides both confidence and responsibility: confidence to invest and innovate, and responsibility to deliver value to millions of farmer-members who form the backbone of the Indian economy.

(The author is Chairman, Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO); Views expressed are personal)

4. Business Growth and Innovation Can Boost India’s Productivity

Jan. 29, 2026, Harald Finger and Nujin Suphaphiphat

Strengthening innovation could help boost productivity growth by 40 percent, equal to adding the output of the country’s fourth-largest state economy

India’s productivity growth over the past two decades has been impressive, reflecting rapid expansion in high-value services, gradual efficiency-enhancing reforms, and scale advantages from a large domestic market. That said, additional gains would support the country’s ambitions of becoming an advanced economy.

Better supporting innovation, including by removing business barriers, can boost the productivity growth rate by nearly 40 percent, as we show in our 2025 Article IV report. That significant productivity dividend would be like adding the output of the state of Karnataka, the fourth-largest state by output, to India’s economy each decade.

India’s productivity performance, measured by output per additional worker, has been uneven. Services have delivered strong productivity gains, benefiting from advances in adoption of digital technology and their integration into global value chains. Manufacturing, however, has seen only small productivity growth, while agriculture—still employing over 40 percent of the workforce—remains far less productive than other sectors. In fact, an additional worker in services produces more than four times the output of a worker in agriculture with the same education level, underscoring the large potential gains from shifting activity to other sectors of the economy.

India’s unusually large share of very small firms is one reason manufacturing productivity has fallen behind. Nearly three quarters of factories employ fewer than five paid workers—almost double the US share. Even more striking, the smallest enterprises produce less than 20 percent of the output per worker of large counterparts, compared with nearly 45 percent in the United States.

These challenges reduce India’s aggregate productivity. Many of these enterprises remain small for decades due to complex compliance requirements, rigid labor regulations, and product market rules that discourage growth. Easing these constraints would help businesses expand and, in turn, dramatically lift productivity. India’s welcome announcement to implement its new labor codes may set the stage for further reforms along this route.

Subdued dynamism

Another factor underlying India’s subdued manufacturing productivity is that business dynamism remains low. The frequency of new business creation and when firms close or exit a market is far lower than in economies such as Korea, Chile, or the United States. Subdued dynamism discourages competition and slows the reallocation of resources toward more productive entities.

Further, a sizable share are zombie firms, which don’t generate enough earnings to cover their borrowing costs yet are continuing to absorb capital and labor. Our analysis shows that firm entry and exit have only a small effect on productivity in India, highlighting the need for a more dynamic business environment in which unproductive firms can wind down while those that are newer and more innovative can grow and thrive.

Innovation, meanwhile, has remained constrained. India invests less in research and development than the average for emerging market economies in the Group of Twenty, and few firms engage in it, with limited adoption of foreign technology. Larger firms tend to innovate more, while smaller ones have more barriers to scaling up and improving. Strengthening innovation could deliver substantial productivity gains, our analysis suggests. Specifically, lifting India’s innovation metrics, including business sophistication and creative outputs, to the 90th percentile of emerging markets could raise productivity growth by almost 0.6 percentage point, or nearly 40 percent relative to India’s long-term average.

Role of AI

Artificial intelligence could reinforce these gains. Nearly 60 percent of Indian firms already use some form of AI—well above global averages. AI can make businesses more efficient, speed up technology diffusion, and strengthen innovation. But adoption remains uneven: employers cite skill shortages, inadequate tools, and integration challenges. Ensuring that AI enhances productivity without widening disparities requires further investment in India’s already strong digital infrastructure, training workers, and protecting those who may lose jobs.

IMF staff simulations show that AI-driven productivity gains—scaled by AI preparedness and exposure—could raise total factor productivity in emerging Asia (including India) by roughly 0.3 to 3 percentage points over a decade—depending on sectors and scenarios.

India has already laid important foundations for productivity-enhancing reforms and can build on a world-class digital public infrastructure. Unlocking the next wave of growth requires a coordinated agenda: easing regulatory burdens so firms can grow, boosting innovation and university-industry collaboration to promote innovation, strengthening business dynamism, and enabling labor to move to higher-productivity sectors.

With these reforms, India can convert its structural strengths into sustained productivity gains, supporting its endeavors to become an advanced economy.

*****

Harald Finger is the IMF mission chief for India. Nujin Suphaphiphat is a senior economist in the Asia and Pacific Department.

5. Transforming Indian Agriculture: Insights from Ashok Barnwal

ET Gov. 7 Feb. 2026

At a time when Indian agriculture is being reshaped by climate stress, technological disruption, and market uncertainty, Ashok Barnwal, Additional Chief Secretary Forest and Agriculture Production Commissioner, Government of Madhya Pradesh, offers a grounded and policy-informed perspective on the sector’s evolving challenges.

Drawing on his long administrative engagement with forests, agriculture, environment, and natural resource governance, he reflects on how data-driven decision-making, personalised advisories, price assurance mechanisms, and sustainable water use are beginning to alter the economics of farming at the grassroots. From the promise of digital agriculture platforms to the structural limits imposed by landholding patterns and global subsidies, his insights underscore the need for reforms that balance productivity, sustainability, and farmer welfare.

The conversation was conducted by Anoop Verma.

Edited excerpts:

Agriculture continues to employ a very large population in India, yet the sector still faces issues of productivity and self-sufficiency. How do you see the current state of agriculture in Madhya Pradesh?

Agriculture is indeed a critical issue, especially when we consider how many people depend on it, how much land is under cultivation, and how much water is devoted to the sector. Despite this, challenges remain. That said, Madhya Pradesh has made significant progress over the last decade. In terms of agricultural growth, we were ranked second nationally over the last ten years. The state that ranked first focused largely on horticulture, whereas Madhya Pradesh consciously concentrated on core agricultural crops.

This sequencing is important. Agriculture typically progresses from low-value crops to higher-value crops. Farmers first stabilise their incomes through staple crops, adopt better technologies, and then gradually diversify into higher-value agriculture. Madhya Pradesh is now firmly at that transition stage. It also helps that our Chief Minister has a deep understanding of agriculture. His administrative experience allows him to appreciate sectoral challenges at a granular level, and that gives us confidence that policy support for agriculture will strengthen further in the coming years.

With new technologies such as AI, digital soil mapping, and data-driven farming gaining traction globally, how is Madhya Pradesh integrating technology into agriculture?

This year, we piloted an initiative called E-Vikas, which is built on the state’s agricultural digital database—what is now being referred to as the AgriStack. Under this initiative, we enrol farmers digitally and map their landholdings, cropping patterns, and historical practices.

Using this data, we provide precise fertiliser recommendations tailored to each farmer’s crop and landholding. The results have been very encouraging. In areas where E-Vikas was implemented, fertiliser consumption either declined or did not increase in line with the rest of the state. This directly reduces input costs for farmers.

We are now linking this system with soil health data and ICAR recommendations. For example, if a farmer is cultivating soybean, we can advise exactly how much fertiliser is optimal per hectare. While these are advisory recommendations, farmers largely accept them because they are specific and credible. The combined use of digital land records, soil testing data, and crop-specific advisories is significantly lowering the cost of cultivation and improving profitability.

Indian farmers often struggle to compete with imported agricultural products that appear cheaper, especially from countries like Australia or parts of Europe. How do you assess this challenge?

There are two fundamental reasons for this disparity. First, the level of subsidies in countries such as the United States, European nations, and Australia is far higher than what Indian farmers receive. Second, the scale of operations is vastly different. In Australia, the average farm size can be around a thousand acres, enabling extensive mechanisation and economies of scale.

In India, the average landholding is less than two hectares. Farming here is often subsistence-oriented rather than industrial. These structural differences mean that Indian farmers will always face some disadvantage in global price competition. This is precisely why India has consistently raised concerns about agricultural subsidies in global trade forums.

Water overuse and inefficient irrigation remain serious concerns, particularly in some northern states. How can sustainability be improved without hurting farm incomes?

Technology is the key. Earlier, farmers received generalised advisories that applied to everyone, which naturally had limited impact. With the AgriStack and the proposed Vistaar platform, we can now communicate personalised advisories.

If we know a farmer is growing paddy and we know the nutrient composition of his soil, we can send a customised message advising how much fertiliser and water is actually required. We can also explain the consequences of over-irrigation, such as nutrient leaching from the soil. These personalised, data-driven messages have the potential to fundamentally change farming behaviour.

This is where digital agriculture becomes transformative—not by coercion, but by informed choice.

Having worked across agriculture, environment, and forestry, what do you see as the biggest challenges facing Indian farming today?

India is self-reliant in food grains, which is a major achievement. The real challenge lies in ensuring remunerative prices for farmers. While the Minimum Support Price system exists, its benefits materialise only when government procurement actually happens, which is not feasible for all crops.

Ensuring fair prices without distorting markets is the real policy challenge. One promising approach is the Bhavantar scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan. It provides farmers with the MSP benefit through direct compensation, without disrupting market price discovery.

We tested this approach for soybean in Madhya Pradesh. Contrary to fears that prices would collapse, market prices in fact performed better than in neighbouring states during later months. This shows that well-designed price deficiency payment systems can protect farmers while preserving market dynamics.

Agriculture still employs a large share of India’s population, even though its contribution to GDP has declined. Can agriculture support a stable, middle-class livelihood?

Yes, it can—if done correctly. Agriculture’s share in GDP has declined from over 35 percent to around 18 percent, which is a healthy structural shift for a developing economy. However, the number of people dependent on agriculture remains high.

Middle-class livelihoods in agriculture are absolutely possible with the right crop selection, access to markets, and fair pricing. We have examples in Madhya Pradesh where farmers earn over one lakh rupees from a single acre. The formula is straightforward: choose the right crop, ensure market access, and receive the right price.

What, in your view, are the most important reforms that have strengthened agriculture in recent years?

Several reforms have contributed meaningfully. First is the integration of soil testing with crop planning. Second is the expansion of micro-irrigation and pressurised irrigation systems, which dramatically improve water-use efficiency. Third is increased mechanisation, which has become essential due to labour shortages and has improved productivity. Finally, better market integration has reduced inefficiencies and improved price realisation. These reforms, combined with focused political leadership, are steadily improving the resilience and productivity of agriculture in Madhya Pradesh.

- Agriculture, Fishing and Rural Development

6. Strengthening India’s Seed Sovereignty: Key Ammendments Suggested for the Draft Seeds Bill 2025

RuralVoice, 19 Jan. 2026, Dr. R..S.Paroda

The Draft Seeds Bill 2025 aims to modernize India’s seed regulatory framework, but experts have urged key amendments to safeguard farmers’ rights, strengthen scientific rigor and ensure balanced governance. Recommendations include redefining farmers’ rights, restoring state representation, refining variety approval processes, strengthening testing norms and introducing clear compensation mechanisms to build a robust, farmer-centric and innovation-friendly seed ecosystem.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare recently introduced the Draft Seeds Bill, 2025, aimed at replacing the Seeds Act of 1966 and the Seed (Control) Order of 1983. Recognizing the importance of this bill on the future of Indian agriculture, especially its potential effects on the existing seed regulatory framework, expert consultation involving country’s leading experts on agricultural research and development was considered important.

The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) and the Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS), both important think tanks for policy advocacy, in collaboration with Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding (ISGPB), Indian Society for Seed Technology (ISST), and Indian Society of Plant Genetic Resources (ISPGR), organized an Expert Consultation on the proposed Seeds Bill, 2025 on 22 November, 2025 at the NASC Complex, Pusa Campus, New Delhi.

The consultation was held under the Co-chairmanship of Dr RS Paroda, Chairman, TAAS and President, ISPGR and Dr Himanshu Pathak, President, NAAS. The deliberation focused on critically reviewing the provisions of the proposed Draft Seeds Bill 2025 regarding its relevance, scope, and potential implications for growth of seed sector and Indian agriculture.

The consultation included representatives from ICAR, NAAS, TAAS, ISGPB, ISPGR, ISST, IARI, private seed companies, seed industry associations, farmers, and other stakeholders. This meeting was followed by further intense discussions among selected experts to draft the final response of the group.

While the bill introduces some important reforms in seed regulation, several portions of the bill requiring refinement to fully protect farmers' interests and ensure scientific rigor were identified.

1. Redefining the 'Farmer' and Protecting Rights

The current draft defines a farmer based on self-cultivation or direct supervision. Experts suggested aligning this definition with that in the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (PPV&FR) Act to avoid legal ambiguity and ensure that farmers' traditional rights to save, use, and exchange seeds remain sacrosanct. Additionally, the term "Counterfeit Seed" should be explicitly defined to protect proprietary varieties from unauthorized marketing.

2. Governance: Restoring State and Farmer Representation

A significant concern was expressed about the reduced representation of states in the Central Seed Committee (CSC)—down from 22 in the 1966 Act to just 5 in the new draft. To maintain an appropriate balance, it was recommended that every state be represented by a member and that five rotating farmer representatives be included. Furthermore, the Secretary of Agriculture should chair the CSC, with DDGs from ICAR serving as Co-Chairs.

3. "Notification and Listing" Over "Registration"

The bill proposes the term "Registration" for approval of varieties, which involves a risk of being confused with the IP-based variety registration under the PPV&FRA. The present consultation proposes using "Notification and Listing" instead “Registration”. This would maintain the established system of nomenclature while ensuring that all varieties undergo at least two years of multi-location VCU (Value for Cultivation and Use) testing within the ICAR-led network.

4. VCU and DUS Testing

To speed up the delivery of innovation to farmers, the experts suggest:

• Simultaneous Testing: Data for DUS (Distinctness, Uniformity, Stability) under PPV&FRA and VCU under this act should be generated concurrently to fast-track commercialization.

• Accredited R&D: One year’s self-generated data by companies with accredited R&D facilities (Category A) alongside one year of ICAR testing data should be acceptable for notification of new varieties.

• DNA Fingerprinting: In the present era of advanced molecular breeding, DNA fingerprinting should be mandatory for notification of varieties to establish absolute genetic identity. However, selecting appropriate molecular markers and marker combinations would require continuous research support.

5. Addressing "Seed Without Borders"

The provision allowing the recognition of trials conducted outside India—"Seed Without Border"—was not fully acceptable. The consensus was that even if such data is accepted, there must be a mandatory one year of testing in India under similar agro-ecological conditions to ensure suitability for Indian fields.

6. Compensation and Penalties

While the bill outlines penalties for "trivial" or "major" offenses by dealers, it is notably silent on compensating farmers for crop loss caused by poor seed quality. The experts recommend renaming Chapter IX to "Offences, Punishment and Compensation" and establishing clear guidelines for farmer redressal. Additionally, selling registered varieties in non-recommended areas should be elevated from a "trivial" to a "minor/major" offense.

7. Efficient Oversight

The bill must specify higher essential qualifications for Seed Inspectors and Analysts, requiring at least a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture and a mandatory proficiency test every five years.

Conclusion

The Seeds Bill 2025 is a vital step towards Viksit Bharat-2047. By incorporating the proposed revisions—focusing on state representation, scientific validation, and farmer compensation—the government would create a robust and equitable seed ecosystem that empowers the Indian farmer while also protecting the interest of seed industry sector.

(Padma Bhushan Dr. R. S. Paroda is the Chairman, TAAS and former Director General of ICAR & Secretary, DARE)

7. Kelachandra Coffee Showcases Speciality Coffees from Western Ghats at World of Coffee Dubai 2026

RuralVoice, 19 Jan. 2026

Kelachandra Coffee will showcase its EUDR-compliant, shade-grown coffee from India’s Western Ghats at World of Coffee Dubai 2026, scheduled from January 18 to 20.

Published:Jan 16, 2026 - 16:32Updated: Jan 16, 2026 - 17:09

Kelachandra Coffee, India’s largest privately held coffee plantation group, will showcase its EUDR-compliant, shade-grown speciality coffees at World of Coffee Dubai 2026. The event will take place from January 18 to 20 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Kelachandra Coffee, a division of the historic Kelachandra Group (established in 1786), cultivates premium, shade-grown, hand-harvested Arabica and Robusta coffees across its estates in Karnataka and Kerala.

The company manages 15 estates spanning nearly 6,500 acres across Wayanad in Kerala and Chikmagalur in Karnataka, two of India’s most iconic coffee-growing regions. Chikmagalur, often referred to as the birthplace of Indian coffee, is situated within the broader Karnataka coffee belt, which accounts for nearly 70 per cent of India’s total coffee production.

Kelachandra has strengthened its on-estate processing capabilities by utilising advanced equipment and technologies from Penagos of Colombia and Pinhalense of Brazil, thereby reducing waste while reinforcing its sustainability goals, including water and energy conservation.

As the global market becomes increasingly compliance-driven, Kelachandra has intensified its focus on science-backed agriculture and climate resilience. Its research and development programs include soil analysis, Trichoderma culture, and initiatives focused on carbon sequestration. Several estates are already considered carbon negative, supported by long-standing regenerative practices and biodiversity-friendly cultivation methods.

"These efforts have helped Kelachandra secure certifications such as Rainforest Alliance and become compliant with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)," said a company press release.

Left to Right - Neleema Rana George, Ryana Kuruvilla and Rishina Kuruvilla of Kelachandra Coffee

“For us, sustainability is not a marketing layer but the operating system of the plantation. Traceability, soil health, biodiversity, and worker welfare are interconnected, and that is what speciality buyers increasingly want to see,” said Rishina Kuruvilla, Head of Sustainability and CSR.

While Kelachandra’s estates are best known for Arabica and Robusta, the group is also actively expanding into Liberica, a climate-resilient variety gaining attention for its adaptability and distinct cup characteristics.

“Dubai is a strategic market for us, not just for sales, but for building awareness of Indian speciality coffee as a serious, traceable origin. We are here to have deeper conversations with roasters and traders who care about both compliance and cup quality,” said Neleema Rana George, Head of Technology and Coffee Works.

The company places strong emphasis on worker welfare, with trained teams hand-picking coffee at elevations of up to 5,300 feet above mean sea level. Estates are supported by upgraded housing, free electricity and water, access to dispensaries, grocery support, and spaces for worship, reinforcing a people-first approach to plantation life.

8. Tripura Markfed, NCEL Ink MoU to Boost Cooperative-Led Agri Exports From Tripura

RuralVoice, 15 Jan. 2026

This strategic partnership is designed to establish a long-term framework for cooperation between Tripura Markfed and NCEL, with a strong focus on empowering cooperative societies and enhancing their participation in global markets.

In a move aimed at strengthening cooperative-driven agricultural exports, Tripura Markfed and National Co-operative Exports Limited (NCEL) signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday in Agartala.

The agreement aims to establish a long-term framework for collaboration to promote the participation of Tripura’s cooperative societies in global markets. The MoU was signed in the presence of Tripura Markfed Chairman Avijit Deb, with NCEL Managing Director Unupom Kausik and Tripura Markfed Managing Director Jogesh Reang (TCS) formalizing the partnership.

Speaking on the occasion, NCEL Managing Director Unupom Kausik said the initiative aligns with NCEL’s commitment to building inclusive and sustainable export pathways for India’s cooperative sector. Tripura Markfed MD Jogesh Reang highlighted the untapped potential of Tripura’s farmers and cooperatives to contribute to the country’s export growth.

Chairman Avijit Deb said the collaboration would enhance the visibility of Tripura’s agricultural produce while providing farmers with direct access to remunerative markets. The MoU, he added, is expected to generate new livelihood opportunities and strengthen the state’s cooperative ecosystem.

The agreement reflects the shared vision of Tripura Markfed and NCEL to promote cooperative exports in line with the national objective of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi,” or prosperity through cooperation.

Under the agreement, the two organizations will jointly identify and promote export-worthy agricultural and allied commodities produced by cooperative societies in Tripura, particularly those with marketable surplus. NCEL will provide market linkages, facilitate procurement and marketing of export-ready produce, and support the development of sustainable and profitable value chains for farmers and cooperatives.

The partnership also envisages joint participation in national and international trade fairs to showcase Tripura’s cooperative produce and explore new business opportunities. Special emphasis will be placed on the export of the state’s unique agricultural commodities, including aromatic rice, which holds strong potential in niche international markets.

9. Precision Breeding: A Transformative Technology Poised to Redefine India’s Crop Improvement Future

Rural Voice, 14 Jan. 2026, Satendra Kumar Mangrauthia

Precision breeding through genome editing is transforming India’s crop improvement landscape. Using CRISPR/Cas technology, scientists create precise, transgene-free mutations to develop high-yielding, climate-resilient crops. With regulatory support for SDN1 and SDN2 plants, breakthroughs like DRR Dhan 100 and Pusa DST1 promise faster breeding, improved productivity, food security, and sustainable Indian agriculture.

Genome editing is transforming modern crop improvement by enabling precise, targeted changes in plant DNA—without introducing foreign genes. Unlike older mutation-breeding methods that relied on random chemical or radiation-induced changes, tools like CRISPR/Cas allow scientists to mimic natural mutations with accuracy and speed. With India exempting SDN1 and SDN2 genome-edited plants from strict biosafety regulations, research institutions have begun advancing high-yielding, climate-resilient and quality-enhanced varieties at an unprecedented pace. Breakthroughs such as DRR Dhan 100 and Pusa DST1 show how genome editing can boost productivity, strengthen resilience and accelerate breeding timelines, offering immense promise for Indian agriculture.

What is genome editing and how is it done?

As the name suggests, it is a breeding tool to make targeted and precise editing (mutations) in any genome (DNA). This is a refined and improved version of earlier practiced mutation breeding, primarily done through chemicals or radiations, wherein DNA of plants or animals was randomly edited or mutated. Therefore, genome editing is a precise mutation tool.

Genome editing is achieved by various tools, the most prominent and widely practiced is CRISPR/Cas. The CRISPR/Cas has two major components- guide RNA (to specify the site of DNA where editing to be done) and Cas protein (to make necessary cutting and joining of DNA with the help of the inherent DNA repair system of plants). Both of these components are transformed into plant cells by routinely followed genetic transformation methods. After entering the plant cell, both these components make necessary target edits in the DNA. After the edits/mutations are confirmed at the target locus of DNA, researchers remove all these external components following a simple genetic process called segregation. The plants with clean background which have only targeted mutations but do not have transgene (guide RNA, Cas gene etc.) are selected and advanced for performance analysis. Therefore, although initial steps of genome- edited plants mimic transgenic processes, the end product is transgene free. Hence, it should be noted that genome edited plants are not GM (genetically modified) crops.

Whether genome edited plants are IP protected and will they cost more to farmers?

None of the genome edited plants are IP protected. As per Indian Patent law, the plants can’t be patented. Only the tool CRISPR/Cas is IP protected. Therefore, a researcher/research organization needs to acquire a license of CRISPR/Cas for its commercial application. The genome-edited plant or variety is considered as the sole IP of the individual/organization who develops it. Therefore, the developer has complete sovereignty over these plants/seeds. The license fee for commercial usage of CRISPR/Cas varies case to case. In most cases of non-profit usage, the IP holder of CRISPR/Cas considers free licensing. In either way, the cost of CRISPR/Cas licensing does not have any implication on seed cost sold to farmers. The genome edited plant varieties are like any other inbred varieties; therefore, farmers can preserve seeds, and use them year after year for several cycles. Farmers will not be dependent on seed companies for availability of seeds.

Who regulates and ascertains that genome edited plants are transgene free?

In India, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has exempted genome edited plants (SDN1 and SDN2) from strict biosafety regulations by a Memorandum dated March 2022. Here, the developer needs to submit the data and report to Institute Biosafety Committee (IBSC) and Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) as per the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. These SOPs defined the necessary data to ascertain absence of transgene and establishment of homozygosity of mutations in genome edited plants. When both IBSC and RCGM are fully satisfied with the submitted data by the developer, they issue an exemption notice/certificate to that particular genome-edited plant.

Are there other countries where genome edited plants are exempted from strict biosafety regulations?

In addition to India, approximately 40 other countries including USA, China, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Philippines, Bangladesh etc. have exempted genome edited plants.

Is there any mechanism to distinguish genome edited plants?

There is no mechanism or diagnosis method by which one can differentiate genome edited plants from the plant mutated/bred through other means. Therefore, even if some countries export genome edited plant products in future, we will not be able to stop it in the absence of any diagnostic method. Genome edited plants at molecular level are very similar to plants obtained through natural or induced mutations.

Do these genome edited plants have any health hazard or danger to biodiversity?

As stated above, genome editing is exactly similar to mutation breeding which has been practiced for more than 150 years and ~4000 different plant varieties have been developed and cultivated. There have been no reports of health hazards or danger to biodiversity due to mutation breeding. On the contrary, genome editing has been proven an important tool to preserve biodiversity by precisely improving the agronomic traits of landraces and wild relatives of crops.

Whether genome edited breeding lines are treated differently for varietal release?

After exemption by IBSC and RCGM, genome edited plants are treated the same as breeding lines derived from other plant breeding methods. These plants undergo rigorous field evaluation under AICRP (All India Coordinated Research Project) to evaluate their field performance, adaptation zones, and trait verification (tolerance to biotic abiotic stresses etc.) Further, all the existing regulations and acts such as Seed Act 1966 and Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act (PPVFRA) 2001 imply on genome edited plants.

Whether genome edited plant varieties will fetch lower prices?

As stated above, the genome edited plants are very similar to varieties developed through mutation, and there is no mechanism to distinguish them, there is certainly no question of fetching lower price.

Whether genome edited plant varieties need special care or growth conditions?

The genome edited plant varieties do not require any special care. The water, fertilizer, and other resources are mostly the same like any other crop variety. On the contrary, if the genome edited plant has been improved for a specific trait that helps growing plants in less water or fertilizer, these plants can be grown in less farm resources.

Where does India stand in genome edited application in agriculture?

India has done exceedingly well in application of genome editing in the field of agriculture. It emerged as the world's first country to develop two rice varieties by genome editing namely- DRR Dhan 100 (KAMALA) and Pusa rice DST1. The DRR Dhan 100 has been developed from a very popular mega rice variety Samba Mahsuri which has fine grain and premium cooking and eating quality. By mutating a gene cytokinin oxidase through CRISPR/Cas, the researchers at Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR) Hyderabad have increased the level of plant hormone cytokinin in rice, which helps enhancing grain yield by 19%, stronger culm (lodging resistance), early maturity (in most of Samba Mahsuri adapted zones), and complete panicle emergence in DRR Dhan 100 compared to parent variety Samba Mahsuri. Most importantly, the DRR Dhan 100 retains the original grain quality of Samba Mahsuri. It should be noted that natural mutations in cytokinin oxidase gene are already present and published in some of the high yielding Japanese and Chinese rice varieties. Additionally, it is well known that external spray of cytokinin phytohormone helps improve rice growth and yield, although it is an expensive method. Therefore, researchers at IIRR mimicked and improved those natural mutations present in high yielding rice varieties.

Similarly, Pusa rice DST1 has been developed from a very popular and mega rice cultivar MTU1010. Here, the researchers at Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) New Delhi mutated a gene known as Drought and Salt Tolerance 1 (DST1) by CRISPR/Cas. The natural mutation in this gene is known to impart drought and salt tolerance in plants. The rice varieties with natural mutations in DST1 are already being grown and cultivated in drought and salt prone regions in other countries. Therefore, researchers at IARI mimicked those natural mutations in DST1 gene of MTU1010 to make it drought and salt tolerant. Under normal soil and growth conditions, the grain yield of Pusa rice DST1 is equivalent to MTU1010. But, under alkaline, inland salinity, and coastal salinity conditions, Pusa rice DST1 showed 14.66, 9.66, and 30.36% yield superiority over MTU1010 in the adaptation zone of parent variety MTU1010.

Both, DRR Dhan 100 (KAMALA) and Pusa rice DST1 have been developed and evaluated as per the existing rules and regulations. These two varieties were exempted by biosafety regulatory bodies in May 2023 after examining the complete data and report submitted to IBSC and RCGM. The IBSC and RCGM ascertained that DRR Dhan 100 (KAMALA) and Pusa rice DST1 do no have any foreign gene and the mutation in target gene (cytokinin oxidase in case of KAMALA and DST1 in case of Pusa rice DST1) is homozygous. After the exemption, both of these two-genome edited mutant lines (KAMALA and Pusa rice DST1) were entered for field evaluation under AICRPR (All India Coordinated Research Project on Rice). The two years of standard multi-location field evaluation recommended for near isogenic and genome edited lines was strictly followed. It should be noted that breeding lines evaluated under AICRPR are blind coded, therefore, their identity is not known by the researchers evaluating these lines at different centres. After establishing the superior performance of DRR Dhan 100 (KAMALA) and Pusa rice DST1 over their respective parent varieties, both of these genome-edited lines were identified as a variety by the Varietal Identification Committee in May 2025.

In addition to these two rice varieties, three other genome edited lines of rice, developed for high grain yield and aroma, are being field evaluated under AICRPR. Also, mustard with low glucosinolate content has been developed by NIPGR New Delhi by genome editing. It has been done to improve the oil quality of mustard, similar to canola. The genome-edited line of mustard is in the final year of AICRP field testing. Additionally, more than 25 different institutes/laboratories are working on trait improvement of oilseed, pulses, cereals, millets, and horticulture crops. Also, Indian scientists at IGIB New Delhi and CRRI Cuttack have developed indigenous genome editing tools which can be applied in near future to accelerate the delivery of genome edited crops with improved traits.

What promises it holds to Indian agriculture?

By enhancing the productivity of staple crops such as rice and wheat, India can strategically reduce the cultivated area under these crops without compromising total grain output-an essential requirement for ensuring food security for more than 1.46 billion people. The land thus saved can be effectively diversified towards pulses and oilseeds. Strengthening the production of these crops is critical for achieving true Atmanirbharta in agriculture. Advanced genome editing offers a powerful avenue to boost the productivity of pulses and oilseeds by creating superior alleles for key agronomic traits, thereby accelerating genetic gains in these traditionally low-yield crops. Genome editing can also be used to develop pest and disease resistance and climate resilience in popular elite crop varieties, therefore, reducing the burden of pesticides, and helping the environment. Most importantly, genome editing can provide quick solutions to agriculture problems. For example, in rice it takes 8-10 years for trait improvement in a variety by existing breeding methods, but genome editing can help develop those improved varieties in 3-4 years. Hence, it helps address agriculture problems not only precisely and efficiently, but timely too.

Every technology needs time to evolve and reach its full potential. What truly matters is our commitment to keep working, refining, and improving. With sustained effort and a positive mindset, excellence becomes inevitable. Genome editing too, like any other breeding tool, will prove it high worth in years to come, provided we support and give the right push at this juncture. The handholding and positive mindset for one of the most promising breeding technologies will not only motivate young researchers of this country but also will emerge as a significant industry to provide employment to biology and agriculture graduates.

(The writer is Principal Scientist, ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad)

10. Rural credit, real impact: Rethinking growth, risk and responsibility in microfinances ..

ET, 24 Jan 2026, Anup Verma

Microfinance in India is entering a phase where questions of scale, sustainability, and measurable impact are becoming as important as outreach.

As rural livelihoods diversify and women-led micro-enterprises expand beyond subsistence activity, the role of microfinance institutions is steadily shifting—from being providers of last-mile credit to becoming long-term partners in economic mobility and local entrepreneurship.

This interview with Sadaf Sayeed, CEO of Muthoot Microfin Ltd., was conducted on the sidelines of the Global Financial Inclusion Summit organised by ACCESS Development Services.

In conversation with Anoop Verma, Sayeed outlines the strategic thinking behind the Muthoot Group’s foray into microfinance, the organisation’s deep rural footprint, and its emphasis on responsible growth, technology-led underwriting, and customer-centric lending models. He also shares his assessment of the sector’s future trajectory, the policy support required to lower the cost of credit, and the role microfinance can play in strengthening India’s inclusive growth story.

Edited Excerpts

The Muthoot Pappachan Group is widely known for gold lending, but it also has a strong presence in microfinance. What prompted the Group to enter this space?

The Muthoot Pappachan Group is, in fact, a well-diversified financial services group. While gold finance is our most visible business, we are also present in microfinance, vehicle finance, affordable housing, and other financing verticals. Financing is our core competence, and our niche has always been serving customers at the bottom of the pyramid.

When we were doing well in gold lending, we realised there was a large segment of upcoming borrowers who did not yet have assets and therefore lacked access to formal finance. These customers would eventually need financial services as their incomes grew. Our thinking was to create a kind of backward integration—support them early through microfinance, help them stabilise and grow their income, and eventually enable them to build assets.

Over time, they could then become gold loan or other mainstream customers of the Group. That was the fundamental idea behind entering microfinance, and today we can proudly say it is one of the most successfully incubated businesses within the Group.

What is your geographical footprint? Are you focused on urban or rural areas?

Our focus is overwhelmingly rural. About 95 percent of our branches are located in rural areas. We operate in 22 states with around 1,748 branches across the country, covering all regions—from north to south, east to west. The idea has always been to be present where access to formal credit is limited.

Micro-lending is often considered relatively safe because borrowers tend to repay diligently. How has your experience been in India?

That perception is absolutely correct. Rural borrowers and low-income households are generally very disciplined and honest when it comes to repayment. For us, microfinance is not just about lending money; it is about financial inclusion and creating real impact. We are not interested in pushing debt, but in helping people progress—whether by starting a small enterprise, expanding an existing activity, or moving steadily out of poverty.

Today, we serve around 3.4 million customers, and the journey has been deeply fulfilling. In our recent quarterly report, we highlighted the story of a customer from Alappuzha who joined us in 2018. She started with a small bag-making business, earning about ₹6,000 per month. Today, she earns close to ₹60,000 per month. She is one example, but there are many such stories across our network. That is the most rewarding aspect of this business.

What kind of growth are you witnessing in the microfinance sector?

The opportunity is very large, but we believe in growing in a calibrated and responsible manner. We are seeing annual growth of around 15 percent, and we believe that a 15–20 percent growth rate is healthy and sustainable for us.

Who are your primary borrowers? Do you also lend to farmers?

Our borrower base includes farmers, micro-entrepreneurs, and women borrowers. Our core focus is on rural, village-level enterprises and women’s joint liability groups engaged in small activities such as vegetable vending, cattle rearing, dairy farming, or other allied agricultural activities.

Over time, we have also innovated and upgraded our product offerings. For instance, we offer dedicated dairy loans, enterprise loans for customers who need larger capital as their businesses grow, and even loans against property for customers who have progressed significantly and require ₹5–10 lakh to expand. However, the core of our business continues to be the joint liability group model.

With the Union Budget approaching, what expectations does the microfinance sector have from the Finance Minister?

Liquidity is the most critical requirement for the sector at this point. One of the key proposals the industry has been advocating is the introduction of a credit guarantee scheme. If the government allocates funds for such a scheme—similar to what was done during COVID—it would give banks much greater confidence to lend to microfinance institutions.

Another important expectation is the creation of a dedicated refinancing window for NBFCs, particularly microfinance institutions. Housing finance companies, for instance, have access to refinance through institutions like NHB at reasonable rates, but microfinance NBFCs do not have a comparable facility. If such a mechanism were introduced, it would significantly reduce our cost of funds and allow us to pass on cheaper credit to the last-mile borrower.

How is Muthoot Microfin leveraging technology to reach and serve rural borrowers?

We consider ourselves a technology-driven microfinance organisation and have been at the forefront of digital adoption from day one. We have developed our own loan management and core systems. We also have a customer app with around two million users out of our total 3.4 million borrowers.

The app is helping us transition from cash-based collections to digital collections and is empowering customers by improving transparency and ease of transactions. In addition, we are using AI in our underwriting process. Customer interactions conducted in local languages are recorded, converted into text, and analysed in real time to generate credit appraisal inputs. This significantly strengthens our underwriting quality.

How do you see the microfinance sector evolving over the next five years?

Over the past year, industry research has highlighted important shifts, many of them driven by recent crises. The biggest lesson has been the need for more granular customer assessment. Lending must be firmly anchored in income assessment and repayment capacity. A one-size-fits-all approach—where everyone in a group receives the same loan amount—will not work going forward.

Each customer must be assessed individually, based on their obligations, income stability, and capacity to repay, and loans should be customised accordingly. We have always focused strongly on underwriting, and I believe this approach will become central to the industry.

As the economy grows, the microfinance sector will play an increasingly important role in supporting entrepreneurship. From a current size of around ₹3.3 lakh crore, the sector could potentially grow to ₹10 lakh crore over the next few years.

There are concerns, especially in urban areas, about high interest rates in microfinance. What can be done to address this?

Access to affordable refinance is the most effective solution. If microfinance institutions can obtain refinance at reasonable rates, that benefit can be passed on directly to borrowers. The RBI has already done commendable work by introducing a transparent interest rate framework that factors in borrowing costs, operating expenses, risk margins, and reasonable profit.

As operating efficiencies improve and the cost of funds comes down, institutions will naturally be able to reduce lending rates. This will ensure borrowers benefit, while allowing lenders to remain sustainable.

- Industry and Manufacture

11. Engineers India wins over $350 million Dangote refinery expansion mandate in Nigeria

ET Gov. 19 Jan. 2026

Dangote will increase refining capacity to produce Euro VI-grade fuels and significantly scale up petrochemical operations.

Engineers India Limited (EIL) on Saturday said it has secured a contract valued at more than $350 million from Nigeria-based Dangote Group to act as Project Management Consultant (PMC) and Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) consultant for the expansion of Africa’s largest refinery in Nigeria.

The contract relates to the expansion of the 650,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Complex at the Lekki Free Zone to 1.4 million bpd under a second train. The refinery, commissioned in 2024, is currently the world’s largest single-train refinery.

Under the expansion plan, Dangote will increase refining capacity to produce Euro VI-grade fuels and significantly scale up petrochemical operations.

Polypropylene capacity will be expanded from 830 kilo tonnes per annum (kTPA) to 2.4 million tonnes per annum (MMTPA) through the revamp of the existing polypropylene unit and installation of an additional 1.2 MMTPA polypropylene unit.

The project also includes the installation of a 750 kTPA UOP Oleflex unit to supplement propylene feedstock.

EIL had earlier partnered with Dangote as PMC and EPCM consultant for the original refinery and petrochemical complex.

The new mandate extends EIL’s role into the next phase of expansion, covering the full project lifecycle for the additional capacity, the company's statement read.

Once completed, the expanded complex is expected to position Dangote as the world’s largest petroleum refinery at a single location, EIL said.

It would strengthen fuel and petrochemical production in Africa, reduce dependence on imports, and support regional energy security, it added.

The expansion project is of global scale and significance and is expected to further reinforce Nigeria’s ambition to emerge as a regional hub for refined petroleum products and petrochemicals.

12. India-US deal will likely double Tamil Nadu garment exports to ₹30,000 crore

ETGov. 10 Feb. 2026

The agreement is poised to bring more orders to Tamil Nadu, potentially diverting them from other countries.

Exporters at the textile town in Tiruppur on Sunday indicated that the shipping of garments to the United States would double to ₹30,000 crore over the next three years following the signing of the India deal with the US.

Tiruppur, located about 450 km west of Chennai, would also witness an increase of job creation to about 5 lakh during the period, Tiruppur Exporters' Association president K M Subramanian told PTI.

India and the United States announced on Saturday that they have finalised the framework for the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement under which both sides will reduce import duties on a number of goods to boost the two-way trade.

Commenting about the deal, Subramanian said, "We welcome it. This deal assumes significance as it will give a huge growth for Tiruppur over the next 5 years."

Responding to a query, he said currently exports of garments from Tamil Nadu is valued at ₹15,000 crore and following the deal, it would double to ₹30,000 crore over the next three years.

Subramanian, also the founder-chairman of Tiruppur-based clothing manufacturer K M Knitwear Pvt Ltd said, on account of the India-US deal, another 5 lakh jobs would be created.

"Currently, about 10 lakh people are employed in this industry. It will witness addition of another 5 lakh jobs over the next 3 to 5 years," he said.

To a query, he said the impact of the deal would be witnessed over the next three months. "After that we will be able to see a good growth for (India made) garments that will be exported from Tamil Nadu. Tiruppur's growth will be on a higher trajectory," he said.

Another Tiruppur-based entrepreneur and founder of Starrlight Exporters, M Rathinasamy, said the deal would bring in more orders from the United States to Tamil Nadu.

"Earlier, some of the orders were going to Bangladesh and other countries. After this deal, we will be getting more orders (from the United States)", Rathinasamy, also the executive committee member of the Tiruppur Exporters' Association said.

"We expect that we will be getting a large number of orders on account of this deal," he said.

To a query, he said those existing orders that have already been secured by the garment traders from the United States would be shipped as per the plan.

Tiruppur Exporters' Association (popularly known as TEA) represents exporters of cotton knitwear who have production facilities in Tiruppur and neighbouring regions. Currently, TEA represents about 1,135 knitwear exporters.

13. Pharma Chiefs Push for Innovation

ET, 10 Feb. 2026

Top Indian pharma promoters have emphasised the need to heighten focus on developing innovative drugs and do it at a much larger scale with enhanced spend on research and development.

Sun Pharma’s Dilip Shanghvi, Cipla’s Yusuf Hamied, GV Prasad of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Vinita Gupta of Lupin were of the view that there is a great opportunity for Indian pharma to innovate and transform into a hub for innovation in the next decade.

The leaders were speaking at an event organised by Lupin for the launch of ‘Made in India—The story of Desh Bandhu Gupta, Lupin and Indian Pharma’, a biography of its legendary founder on Sunday evening.

The call for innovation push by the top executives comes at a time when the recent budget has, for the first time, announced a dedicated ₹10,000-crore programme to build India into a global biopharma manufacturing hub.

“Our innovative products are licensed in. That, we thought, was the best way to understand the business of innovation,” said Shanghvi. “It takes us a very different regulatory understanding of how to encourage innovation.” “Historically, we commit $2-3 million on a product and over a development time of 2-3 years, that gives us revenue or cash flow. In innovation, we commit hundreds of millions of dollars over a much longer period and that requires courage, because the risk of failure is significant,” he added.

14. Inside India’s only dark factory in Tamil Nadu. Robots work all night, engineers stay out

The Print, 10 Feb. 2026, Amrtansh Arora

Key takeaways

Automation & Precision: Polymatech in Kancheepuram runs a fully automated semiconductor factory, where robots assemble chips and PCBs 24×7 with nanometre-level precision, while engineers supervise from outside.

Work Culture Shift: Engineers enjoy flexible schedules and more time for R&D, as robots handle the bulk of production, redefining traditional manufacturing roles.

Industrial Significance: India lags in robot density (9 per 10,000 employees) compared to Asia’s average (204) but is taking steps toward hyper-automation, inspired by global dark factory models.

Kancheepuram: It’s half past midnight in Kancheepuram’s SEZ. The UV lights are on in what looks like an almost emptied-out factory floor. Its eerie silence is broken by a quiet melodic beep, like an ICU’s heart-rate monitor, and the swish of a robotic arm slicing through air. It’s a new kind of factory soundscape. There are no human beings.

Welcome to India’s only dark factory.

Here lies the sanctum sanctorum of the country’s industrial future—robots assembling semiconductor chips without any human supervision. In what is called a cleanroom, there’s a silent rhythm of titanium hands performing an intricate, choreographed dance, set against the hypnotic loop of a Ganesha prayer.

The semiconductor manufacturing unit, Polymatech, set up in 2018 in Kancheepuram’s Oragadam, stands at the cusp of the next industrial revolution. It’s a hyper-automation ‘upside down’, where a handful of people and an army of machines produce goods faster, at a fraction of the cost, without compromising on quality.

“I want the engineers to sit outside the shop floor, I don’t want them to work; it’s only the machines that have to work,” said Vishaal Nandam, director at Polymatech. The robots here work 24×7, with a 30-minute break once a year. The engineers, by comparison, have no fixed shifts and leaner schedules.

Robotic arms assemble semiconductor components 24×7 at Polymatech’s unit in Oragadam, Kancheepuram

With the vigour of a well-drilled battalion, robots here assemble the semiconductor chips and printed circuit boards (PCB) that breathe light into mobile phones, laptops, and TV backlights. Precision down to the last nanometre is a non-negotiable key result area (KRA). The robots have their own call signs held up through stack lights affixed to the side of each machine. Red is a hiccup, yellow is ready-to-roar, green is clear sailing.

Having missed the China-style job-generating manufacturing boom, India is also a slow mover on roboticised, largely unattended manufacturing processes. Facilities like the one in Kancheepuram are rare. India is sixth in annual installations, with a manufacturing robot density of 9 robots per 10,000 employees, according to data provided by the International Federation of Robotics. Asia’s is 204, and the global average is 177. At the top of the leaderboard are South Korea (1,102), Singapore (770), China (470), Germany (429), and Japan (419).

But when it comes to dark factories, the race has only just started.

“Robotisation and automation across the globe have marginally been confined to two sectors. One is automobiles and the other is chip manufacturing. Beyond that nowhere in the world has it gone any further,” said Santosh Mehrotra, visiting professor at the Centre for Development, University of Bath.

“We can always catch the manufacturing bus at the next step.”

15. Mahindra to invest Rs 15,000 crore for its largest manufacturing plant

News9 Live, 09 Feb. 2026, Ahsan Khan

Key takeaways

Largest Production Hub: Mahindra will build a 1,500-acre integrated plant near Nagpur, producing 5 lakh vehicles and 1 lakh tractors annually, making it the company’s biggest manufacturing facility in India.

Supplier Park & Expansion: A 150-acre supplier park in Sambhajinagar will support the Nagpur plant and existing factories. Additional 2,000+ acres are planned in Maharashtra for future expansion and technology development.

Diverse Powertrains: The facility will produce petrol, diesel, electric vehicles, and next-generation platforms like NU_IQ architecture, emphasizing flexibility and advanced technology.

Mahindra manufacturing unit (Image from Mahindra).© Ahsan Khan

New Delhi: Mahindra & Mahindra has announced a major investment plan of Rs 15,000 crore to build its biggest integrated manufacturing plant in Maharashtra. The company said the facility will be developed near Nagpur, and production is expected to start in 2028. The announcement was made on February 6, 2026.

To support this project, Mahindra will also set up a supplier park of around 150 acres in Sambhajinagar. This park will help provide parts and components for the Nagpur plant and will also supply the company’s existing factories in Chakan and Nashik.

Nagpur unit to become Mahindra’s biggest production hub

The new plant will be spread over 1,500 acres and will have the capacity to produce more than 5 lakh vehicles and 1 lakh tractors every year. With this scale, the Nagpur unit will become the largest manufacturing facility of Mahindra in the country. The company plans to use the plant for producing different types of vehicles and tractors under one location, making it an important centre for its future growth.

Apart from the Nagpur project, the company is looking to acquire more than 2,000 acres of land at three different places in Maharashtra, including the Igatpuri-Nashik area. This land will be used to expand current production lines, increase engine manufacturing capacity and support Mahindra’s new technology businesses in the coming years.

Focus on various powertrain options

Mahindra has confirmed that the Nagpur facility will produce vehicles based on different powertrain options. These will include traditional petrol and diesel models, electric vehicles and other future technologies. The plant will also work on the company’s next-generation vehicle platforms, including the NU_IQ architecture.

Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director & CEO, Auto and Farm Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., said: “This facility represents a bold step forward in Mahindra’s manufacturing journey. Designed to support our next generation of vehicles and tractors, it brings together scale, flexibility and advanced technology within one integrated footprint. It strengthens our ability to deliver world-class products while staying true to our commitment to ‘Make in India for the World’. We are proud to deepen our partnership with the state of Maharashtra through this transformative investment.”

- Services (Education, Healthcare, IT, R&D, Tourism, etc.)

16. India's Obesity Crisis: Economic Impacts and Urgent Need for Action

ET Gov. 20 Jan. 2026

If we act early—clinically, socially and legislatively—we can safeguard India’s future health and prosperity. If we delay, the costs will be counted in lives shortened, families impoverished, and opportunities lost.

Obesity is no longer a future risk for India. It is here, reshaping our health, our economy, and our daily lives. We see this crisis in clinics, among communities, and in committee rooms. We must act early and act together.

Over the past three decades, India’s health burden has shifted quietly but decisively. Infectious diseases still matter, yet preventable non-communicable diseases—diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers—now drive illness and premature death.

Obesity sits at the centre of this transition as a decisive, modifiable risk factor. National Family Health Survey data show that roughly one in four Indian adults now is overweight or obese, almost five times the number three decades ago, with rates particularly high in cities and among working-age adults.

Behind these numbers are painful personal stories. Families are selling land or pledging jewellery to pay for repeated hospitalisations. Workers in their forties living with diabetes, heart disease, and sleep apnoea.

Young children whose weight problems are dismissed as “baby fat” until they present with early hypertension or fatty liver disease. Obesity amplifies inequalities: the poor often rely on cheap, energy-dense foods while lacking safe spaces to walk, and women face both a larger metabolic risk and a harsher social stigma.

The economic cost is equally sobering. Estimates from recent analysis suggest that obesity and its associated conditions cost India about $26.6 billion in 2019, with that figure projected to rise to $81.5 billion by 2030—around 1.6% of GDP—once lost productivity, premature mortality and reduced tax revenues are factored in.

For a young country aspiring to global economic leadership, permitting such a preventable drain on human capital is not an option.

States such as Tamil Nadu illustrate the “dual burden” vividly. Undernutrition persists in pockets, particularly among vulnerable children and communities. At the same time, data show rising rates of overweight and obesity in adults and adolescents, driven by sedentary lifestyles, dietary shifts, and rapid urbanisation.

Tamil Nadu’s comparatively strong health system, however, also shows what is possible: it can integrate obesity prevention and care into existing programmes, from primary health centres to school health and NCD clinics.

This is not a question of personal willpower or aesthetics. Obesity is a chronic, multifactorial disease with medical, psychological, social and environmental roots.

The recent Tamil Nadu consultation on obesity, convened with public health experts and clinicians, explicitly called for a “multi-causal” framework that distinguishes obesity linked to underlying medical conditions, obesity shaped by mental health and disordered eating, and obesity driven by lifestyle and environment. Each pathway demands different tools and different forms of care. Reducing this complexity to “eat less, move more” is both inaccurate and harmful.

From our vantage point—one of us as a practising doctor and Member of Parliament, the other as a policy practitioner—three directions for action stand out.

First, recognise and treat obesity as a chronic disease.

Obesity must be brought out of the shadows of our health policy. It should be explicitly recognised as a chronic, multifactorial disease within national and state NCD programmes, rather than remaining a buried subheading in broader strategies.

This means clear guidelines on screening, counselling, and treatment at different levels of care; inclusion of obesity as a distinct priority within the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS); and dedicated budget lines, indicators, and reporting.

Tamil Nadu’s multi-stakeholder dialogue has already recommended an “Obesity Accountability Framework” and a state-level task force to integrate prevention, early detection and holistic management. Similar task forces, backed by strong epidemiological surveillance, should be established across states, with special attention to childhood and adolescent obesity.

School health programmes, Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram, and Ayushman Arogya Mandirs can all be leveraged for early screening and referral, with data captured on the National NCD portal to track progress and course-correct quickly.

Second, build accountability and prevent financial issues.

Obesity is everyone’s problem, which often means it becomes no one’s responsibility. We need institutional mechanisms that assign clear roles and create incentives to act. State and national task forces should bring together health, education, food safety, urban development, women and child development, and finance to review trends, align policies, and monitor implementation.

Financing must follow this logic. The Tamil Nadu recommendations emphasise earmarked budgets for obesity prevention and care at state and district levels, with decentralised responsibility for planning and spending.

Performance-linked allocations that reward districts for improving data quality, innovating in community-based prevention, and expanding access to care would make this agenda more than a paper commitment.

Evidence from global analyses, echoed in the TBI (Tony Blair Institute) report, is clear: well-designed NCD “best buy” interventions—such as healthier food policies, tobacco control, and programmes that promote physical activity—deliver many times their cost in economic and health benefits.

Third, reshape the environments in which people live, eat and move.

We cannot talk seriously about obesity while leaving the food and physical activity environments unchanged. India’s rapid expansion of packaged and ultra-processed foods, including in rural areas, has outpaced regulation and public awareness. Stricter rules can shift the default in favour of health.

The Tamil Nadu consultation called for more explicit front-of-pack nutrition labelling on packaged foods, using simple warning symbols for products high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats; tighter controls on marketing and advertising of junk food to children, including on digital platforms; and health-oriented taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages and ultra-processed foods, with part of the revenue earmarked for health promotion.

International experience, such as the United Kingdom’s soft drinks industry levy and restrictions on the advertising of high-fat, sugar- and salt-rich foods, shows that robust, well-designed regulation can drive product reformulation and reduce sugar consumption without harming overall sales.

Creating healthier environments also means acting where people spend most of their time. In schools, this should translate into banning the sale and promotion of junk food in and around campuses, integrating nutrition and physical activity into timetables, strengthening school meals to be both nutritious and appealing, and offering supportive counselling for children already living with obesity.

In workplaces, companies can promote regular movement breaks, healthier cafeteria options and routine health checks, recognising that obesity prevention is an investment in productivity rather than a welfare extra.

India’s growing strengths in digital health and primary care offer powerful tools to support these changes. Our expanding network of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and the National NCD portal shows how protocol-based, digitally enabled care can transform outcomes for hypertension and diabetes at low cost.

Similar models can be adapted for obesity: standardised screening and counselling pathways, SMS and app-based nudges for healthier habits, teleconsultations with nutritionists and psychologists, and systematic follow-up. As newer pharmacological therapies for obesity become available, we must ensure they are used responsibly, equitably, and embedded within comprehensive care rather than marketed as quick fixes.

This agenda is not only technical; it is intensely political. In recent months, childhood obesity has been taken up directly with the Prime Minister through parliamentary representations, underlining both the urgency of the problem and the responsibility of national leadership.

Parliament has a central role to play: strengthening food regulatory framework and health legislation, subjecting budgets and schemes to serious scrutiny on NCD prevention, encouraging state-led innovations, and ensuring that emerging therapies are safe, affordable and guided by public interest rather than only by market forces.

For Parliamentarians, this is also an opportunity to work across party lines. Obesity does not respect ideological boundaries. A cross-party coalition for obesity prevention and care—working with professional bodies, civil society, and state governments—can keep this issue high on the agenda and ensure continuity across electoral cycles.

As a physician, I know that early intervention can change the course of a disease. As a legislator, I know that early and decisive policy can change the course of a nation. Obesity sits at the intersection of these two realities.

(Dr. Kalanidhi Veeraswamy, a Member of Parliament from Tamil Nadu, is the Vice-Chairperson of the Indian Medical Parliamentarians’ Forum, Vinod Bhanu is the Executive Director at the Centre for Legislative Research and Advocacy; Views expressed are personal)

17. World Economic Forum: Transforming Tier-2 and Tier-3 Cities into Innovation Hubs for India's Economic Growth

ET Gov. 31 Jan. 2026

Maharashtra faces a critical juncture, needing to shift from capital-led industrial expansion to a skills-first approach for sustained innovation and growth.

The global economy is entering an era of demographic decline. Advanced economies across Europe, East Asia, and even China are witnessing shrinking workforces and rising dependency ratios. India, in contrast, stands at a rare historical moment. Home to nearly 17 per cent of the world’s population and with over 65 per cent of its citizens below the age of 35, India will remain the world’s largest reservoir of working-age population well beyond 2050. Yet population alone does not create prosperity. The defining question before India is no longer about the availability of opportunities, but about its capacity to convert demographic scale into sustained innovation.

For Maharashtra, which contributes nearly one-sixth of India’s GDP, this challenge is even more acute. While the state has achieved impressive aggregate growth, the distribution of economic gains remains uneven. Sustainable development cannot be measured only through GSDP expansion; it must be reflected in rising per capita income, improved productivity, and quality employment across regions.

The limits of the existing growth model

India has successfully positioned itself as a global service provider. Services today account for nearly 55 per cent of GDP, and the country hosts over 1,800 Global Capability Centres, reflecting strong global confidence in Indian talent. However, this growth has been geographically narrow and skill-specific. The World Economic Forum estimates that 44 per cent of core job skills will change by 2027. In contrast, less than 5 per cent of India’s workforce has formal vocational or technical training. This structural gap between demographic scale and skill readiness threatens to constrain productivity and innovation. If left unaddressed, India risks remaining an economy of job seekers rather than emerging as a generator of solutions.

Urbanisation and the tier-2 and tier-3 imperative

India’s urban population is projected to exceed 600 million by 2035, accounting for more than half the country’s population. Yet urban growth remains concentrated in a handful of metropolitan regions that already face acute stress on housing, transport, water, energy, and governance systems. Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities represent India’s largest untapped reservoir of talent and regional advantage. Without deliberate planning, however, these cities risk becoming consumption-driven extensions of metropolitan economies rather than independent engines of growth.

Maharashtra’s regional economic landscape

Several Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities in Maharashtra already possess strong industrial or resource-based foundations. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has evolved into a major automobile and manufacturing hub; Nashik has developed a diversified industrial base spanning automobiles, engineering, and agro-processing; Kolhapur and Sangli form a cluster of foundry, engineering, and sugar industries; Nagpur serves as a logistics and services hub with emerging manufacturing capabilities; Solapur has strengths in textiles and agro-based industries, while Maharashtra’s 720-kilometre coastline offers significant potential for shipbuilding, logistics, and maritime services.

Yet in most of these regions, economic activity remains concentrated in low to mid-value production and assembly. The absence of advanced engineering, design, research, and patenting capabilities limits value addition, suppresses wage growth, and ultimately restrains per capita income.

The core problem: Capital before capability

This pattern reflects a deeper sequencing issue in Maharashtra’s development model. Historically, industrial policy has prioritised capital investment and infrastructure creation, while skill formation and innovation ecosystems have followed later. While this approach has delivered industrial expansion, it has not consistently translated into high productivity or rising incomes.

In the contemporary knowledge-driven economy, capital without capability yields diminishing returns. Maharashtra must therefore reverse the sequence: build skills, research capacity, and innovation ecosystems before attracting large-scale investment. Only when human capital is prepared can investment translate into higher productivity and sustained income growth.

A skills-first development architecture

For Maharashtra, the starting point must be systematic mapping of district-level economic strengths, natural resources, industrial presence, and human capital. This mapping should inform a differentiated regional development strategy, identifying priority sectors for each district or cluster.

Skill development institutions, particularly Industrial Training Institutes, must undergo comprehensive curriculum reform aligned with emerging technologies such as electric mobility, automation, advanced materials, data analytics, and green manufacturing. Higher education institutions in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities must be strengthened and aligned with regional industrial priorities through curriculum redesign, industry partnerships, and knowledge-transfer arrangements with national and international universities.

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar provides a compelling illustration. By upgrading local engineering institutions to focus on automotive design, electric mobility, advanced materials, and industrial automation, the region could move beyond manufacturing into innovation-driven production. Similar models can be applied in Nashik for agro-processing and engineering, in Kolhapur–Sangli for advanced manufacturing and precision engineering, in Nagpur for logistics and digital services, and in Solapur for textile innovation and agro-based technologies.

Over time, such region-specific innovation ecosystems would attract domestic and foreign investment aligned with local capabilities, thereby increasing productivity, improving wage levels, and accelerating per capita income growth across regions.

From industrial expansion to innovation-led GSDP growth

Maharashtra’s ambition must therefore shift from merely expanding industrial capacity to building innovation-led regional economies. Today, innovation ecosystems remain heavily concentrated in Mumbai and Pune, while Tier-2 and Tier-3 regions largely remain outside formal R&D networks.

Initiatives such as GI-tagged products and One District One Product offer a foundation for region-specific economic development, but their impact will remain limited unless integrated with research institutions, skill development systems, and market access strategies. By linking local resources with applied research and design capabilities, Maharashtra can transform traditional industries into globally competitive value chains, thereby raising productivity and incomes.

The economic implications of this shift are substantial. If Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities achieve even moderate gains in productivity, Maharashtra’s GSDP growth could accelerate significantly, regional disparities could narrow, and per capita income could rise in a more balanced and sustainable manner.

The strategic choice before Maharashtra

Maharashtra’s demographic advantage is time-bound. The coming two decades will determine whether the state emerges as an innovation-driven economy or remains dependent on a narrow set of metropolitan growth centres. The path forward lies in deliberate, skills-first planning: mapping district strengths, reforming vocational and higher education, aligning industry with regional capabilities, and attracting investment only after foundational capacity is built.

For Maharashtra, placing skills before capital is not merely a policy choice—it is a strategic imperative for sustained GSDP growth, rising per capita income, and long-term economic leadership.

(Disclaimer: The article is authored by Rishikesh Shirke, Public Policy Strategist, Office of Chief Secretary of Maharashtra. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author. ETGovernment does not endorse or take responsibility for the content.)

18. India has to focus on monetising FTAs

The Financial Express, 9 Feb. 2026, Geeta Nair

Key takeaways

FTA Adoption Gap: India’s Free Trade Agreements have a low adoption rate of 25-30%, compared to the global 75-85%, limiting potential benefits.

MSME Support Needed: Mid-sized corporations and MSMEs require financial support and guidance to effectively utilise FTAs and drive trade growth.

Global Opportunities: Strategies like “China plus one” have been leveraged better by countries such as Vietnam and Thailand; India now needs to focus on execution, data management, and product traceability to gain a competitive advantage.

A significant part of improving FTA adoption depends on mid-sized corporations and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which require financial support and encouragement to effectively utilise these agreements.

India has signed numerous Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), but now it needs to focus on effectively monetising them.

Sanjeev Krishan, Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers India, stated that the adoption rate of FTAs in the country is low, estimated at 25-30%, compared to a global adoption rate of 75-85%. Countries that have successfully leveraged FTAs benefit much more than India.

Dependence on MSMEs

Krishan made these comments at the Pune International Business Summit organised by the Mahratta Chambers of Commerce, Industries, and Agriculture (MCCIA) in Pune on Monday. He noted that substantial enabling steps were taken during this year’s Budget.

What did Sunil Kant Munjal say?

Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman of Hero Enterprises, highlighted that the global opportunities arising from the “China plus one” strategy have been capitalised on by other countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Bangladesh, which have utilised these opportunities more effectively than India.

Munjal acknowledged that while India has been a late entrant into the global market, it has made significant strides through thoughtfully negotiated agreements with some of the largest markets in the world. The focus now needs to shift towards execution and establishing the right processes and systems.

For instance, effective data management and product traceability are critical to understanding customer needs and improving consistently. Only by doing this can India gain a competitive advantage in these large markets, Munjal said at the Business Summit in Pune. This presents a genuine opportunity for trade, industry, and agriculture in India to become a global player, especially with the nation being invited to engage in top-level discussions on the global stage, he said.

More from The Financial Express on their site

19. US-India trade deal ensures dairy security as Amul targets one-third of global milk output

9 Feb. 2026, News9 Live, by Junaid Dar

Key takeaways

Dairy Security & Trade: The India-US Free Trade Agreement protects domestic dairy, with imports negligible, ensuring farmers’ economic stability.

Global Ambitions: India aims to produce one-third of the world’s milk in the next decade, expanding cooperative networks and including more villages and women farmers.

Cooperative Strength: Amul’s philosophy of “Cooperation before competition” drives its global success, exporting to over 50 countries and ranking as the #1 cooperative worldwide.

New Delhi: As India navigates a landmark trade agreement with the United States, the high-stakes balancing act between global market access and rural economic security has taken center stage. Jayen Mehta, Managing Director of Amul (GCMMF), recently sat down to address the “global graduation” of India’s dairy sector. In an exclusive interview with News9 he assured that the foundation of the Indian farmer remains unshakeable even as the nation eyes a third of the world’s milk production.

Protecting world’s largest agricultural crop

In a strong endorsement of the government’s diplomatic strategy, Mehta expressed deep gratitude to the Prime Minister for safeguarding the dairy sector in the recently concluded India-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

“Milk is the largest agricultural crop of our country. Its output value is greater than wheat, paddy, and oilseeds combined,” Mehta told News9. He dismissed fears of an “import invasion,” clarifying that the specific items allowed for import under the new deal are negligible and do not pose a threat to the domestic economy. For Mehta, the deal represents a victory for “protection without isolation.”

White Revolution 2.0

While White Revolution 1.0 made India the world’s top producer, version 2.0 is about depth, inclusion, and organization. The roadmap for the next decade is staggering. According to Mehta, India is projected to produce one-third (33 per cent) of the total global milk supply within the next 10 years.

He said that the mission aims to bring more villages and more farmers, specifically focusing on women, into the organised cooperative fold. Mehta stressed that during the times when consumers shift from unorganised “loose” milk to packaged, branded products, the cooperative model provides the necessary scale to capture this value for the farmer.

Mantra is “Cooperation before competition”

Mehta highlighted that the perishable nature of milk makes the cooperative model the only viable path for India’s 8 crore (80 million) dairy-dependent families. While global giants look at India’s massive consumer base with envy, Mehta believes India’s strength lies in its unique structure.

“Cooperation before competition is India’s dairy mantra,” he stated. This philosophy has already propelled Amul, owned by 36 lakh farmers in Gujarat, to be ranked as the world’s strongest food and dairy brand and the #1 cooperative globally.

Ready for the world stage

Far from being afraid of international competition, Mehta pointed out that India is already a formidable global player. Amul currently exports to over 50 countries, going head-to-head with the world’s most established brands.

“We have acquired scale through the cooperative model over several decades,” Mehta said. “Global competition is there, but we are already competing and winning.”

“The kind of items which have been allowed for imports also do not matter too much for our country economy and particularly the dairy sector,” he added.

INDIA and the World

21. India-EU Free Trade Agreement: A Game-Changer for Global Trade and Economic Diplomacy

ET Gov. 31 Jan. 2026

European Commission Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic, second left, talks with Indian National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, center, and Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, left, before the announcement by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about reaching free trade agreement between India and EU in New Delhi

The signing of the India–European Union Free Trade Agreement marks not merely the conclusion of a long and complex negotiation, but the emergence of India as a central architect of the twenty-first-century global economic order.

Addressing the World Forum of Accountants organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in Greater Noida, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal described the pact as one of historic scale and consequence—an agreement that touches nearly one-third of humanity and influences roughly a quarter of global GDP.

The sheer size of the agreement explains why the President of the European Commission has reportedly called it the “mother of all deals.” Together, India and the European Union now anchor a trade framework that connects two of the world’s largest and most dynamic markets. For India, the significance lies not only in market access, but in strategic positioning.

The European Union alone imports close to seven trillion dollars’ worth of goods and three trillion dollars in services annually. Against this ten-trillion-dollar opportunity, India’s current export footprint remains modest—an imbalance that, as Goyal underlined, signals potential rather than limitation.

This agreement is also emblematic of a broader recalibration of India’s engagement with globalisation. Over the past four years, India has concluded eight free trade agreements, spanning advanced and emerging economies alike. These include partnerships with the 27-nation European Union, the four-nation EFTA bloc of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Collectively, these agreements reflect a decisive shift away from defensive trade postures towards confident, interest-based economic diplomacy—one that integrates Indian manufacturing, services and talent more deeply into global value chains.

The forward momentum continues. India’s forthcoming trade agreement with Chile, Goyal noted, will be strategically important for securing access to critical minerals—resources that increasingly sit at the intersection of industrial policy, clean energy transitions and national security. Meanwhile, recently concluded agreements are already translating into tangible economic commitments.

The pact with the EFTA countries carries an investment pledge of one hundred billion dollars into India, targeted at infrastructure, innovation and precision manufacturing, with the potential to generate nearly five million jobs. New Zealand’s commitment to invest twenty billion dollars in India over the next fifteen years stands in sharp contrast to its cumulative investment of just seventy million dollars over the previous quarter century.

Such figures, Goyal argued, are not acts of goodwill but expressions of confidence—in India’s macroeconomic stability, its youthful and skilled workforce, and the credibility of its institutions. In a global environment characterised by volatility, uncertainty and fractured supply chains, India has emerged as an “oasis of stability.” Strong growth, relatively low inflation, a resilient banking system and robust foreign exchange reserves have allowed India’s exports of goods and services to continue expanding even amid global trade turbulence.

The minister placed this transformation within a longer arc of national self-belief. In 2014, India was the world’s eleventh-largest economy. A decade later, it stands poised to become the third-largest far sooner than earlier projections suggested.

This shift, Goyal said, was enabled by decisive leadership under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which replaced hesitation with confidence and reframed India’s engagement with the world as one of equality and strategic clarity. Free trade agreements, he emphasised, are no longer instruments of concession but carefully balanced frameworks that advance national interest.

Within this global reorientation, the role of professionals—particularly chartered accountants—assumes strategic importance. As India sets its sights on becoming a developed nation by 2047, the accounting profession is positioned as both an internal stabiliser and an external bridge. With over 5.25 lakh chartered accountants, more than 4.25 lakh of them active professionals across 184 chapters in India and operations in 47 countries, the profession embodies India’s institutional depth and global credibility.

Goyal underscored that chartered accountants are central to sustaining investor confidence through the certification of true and fair accounts, thereby enabling capital flows, partnerships and international expansion. Their rigorous training and multidisciplinary exposure, he argued, allow Indian professionals to perform seamlessly across jurisdictions, cultures and regulatory systems. In an era of global capability centres, cross-border investments and complex trade architectures, this competence becomes a form of soft power.

Looking ahead, the minister called for an expansion of professional ambition. Global exposure, he said, must be integrated into training and curricula, with deeper engagement in international trade, advanced manufacturing and services. No nation can achieve developed-country status in isolation, and India’s professionals must prepare themselves to operate at scale, forge transnational partnerships and move decisively beyond comfort zones during the Amrit Kaal.

The India–EU Free Trade Agreement thus stands as more than a commercial document. It is a statement of intent: that India will shape, rather than merely respond to, the evolving global economic order. If its professionals, institutions and enterprises rise collectively to this moment, the agreement could well become a cornerstone in India’s journey towards a thirty-trillion-dollar economy—and a defining instrument of its ascent as a confident, outward-looking global power.

22. India Submarine Deal: Government pact to clear way for $10 billion submarine deal with Germany

ET Gov. 31 Jan. 2026

India is set to sign a major deal for new submarines by March end. This multi-billion dollar contract with Germany will bring advanced technology.

New Delhi: India is set to sign a multi-billion dollar deal to construct next-generation conventional submarines by the end of March, with an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) finalised with Germany for long-term support and export clearances and cost negotiations with Mazagon Dockyards Limited (MDL) completed.

Sources said the IGA was finalised recently and the German defence minister is expected to visit India by end of March for the final signing. While the main contract will be signed between MDL and the defence ministry, the IGA will give a larger umbrella of assurances for technology transfer, training of personnel and administrative clearances.

As reported by ET, the bid by MDL in partnership with Germany's Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) had been given the go ahead in January 2025 by a technical oversight committee that looked into the bidding process. The past year was spent on finalising costs and technical details, with MDL taking the lead. While the final price of the contract has not yet been revealed, it is likely to be around $10 billion, which would include significant technology transfer and create thousands of jobs in India by creating an industrial ecosystem.

Given the enormity of the project-six submarines have to be built in India with a high degree of technology transfer-the first of the new boats is expected to enter service almost seven years after signing of a contract. A key capability the new submarines will bring is the AIP system that will give the boats the ability to stay underwater for up to two weeks, greatly enhancing stealth.

The high value contract can also place India as a warship building hub for the German company that is seeking new markets and estimates that Indian shipbuilders can bring down costs significantly, enabling joint exports in the region.

The navy is keen to sign the contract in the current financial year, given that it is facing a severe shortage in underwater platforms. The mainstay Kilo class submarines are being retired as they have reached end of service life and the only additions in the past two decades have been six of the Kalvari class submarines, also manufactured by MDL. The navy also has financial provisions in the current year that need to be utilised and would be used for the first payments to MDL for the mega contract.

23. US–India Unveil Interim Trade Framework; India to Cut Tariffs on US Food and Agri Products

RuralVoice, 7 Feb. 2026, Ajeet Singh

The United States and India have unveiled an interim trade framework aimed at lowering tariffs, expanding market access, and deepening cooperation in energy and technology.

The United States and India on Friday unveiled a joint statement outlining an interim trade framework that moves both countries closer to a broader bilateral trade agreement. The framework focuses on lowering tariffs, reshaping energy ties, and deepening economic cooperation.

According to the joint statement, India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products. These include dried distillers’ grains (DDGs), red sorghum for animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruits, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and several other products. Both countries have committed to providing sustained preferential market access to each other in sectors of mutual interest.

The United States will apply a reciprocal tariff rate of 18 percent on originating Indian goods, covering sectors such as textiles and apparel, leather and footwear, plastic and rubber products, organic chemicals, home décor, artisanal goods, and certain machinery. The US will remove reciprocal tariffs on a wide range of Indian exports, including generic pharmaceuticals, gems and diamonds, and selected aircraft and aircraft parts. India will also receive a preferential tariff rate quota for automotive parts.

The framework also places strong emphasis on energy and strategic purchases. India has indicated its intention to purchase USD 500 billion worth of US energy products, aircraft and aircraft parts, precious metals, technology products, and coking coal over the next five years. In addition, both countries agreed to significantly expand trade in advanced technology products, including graphics processing units (GPUs) and other data center-related equipment, alongside deeper joint technology cooperation.

The interim framework reaffirms the commitment of both governments to continue negotiations toward a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement, while acknowledging that further talks are required to finalize the pact. The United States and India will also address non-tariff barriers that affect bilateral trade.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would reduce tariffs on Indian goods from 50 percent to 18 percent, citing India’s steps to lower trade barriers and its commitment to halt direct or indirect imports of Russian oil. Subsequently, the US also removed the additional 25 percent tariffs imposed on India for purchasing Russian oil, noting that New Delhi had taken “significant steps” on the issue.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the interim agreement would strengthen ‘Make in India’ by opening new opportunities for India’s hardworking farmers, entrepreneurs, MSMEs, startup innovators, fishermen, and others. He said the agreement would generate large-scale employment for women and young people.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that no concessions have been extended to sensitive agricultural sectors, including grains, fruits, vegetables, spices, oilseeds, dairy, poultry, and meat, while securing preferential access for Indian goods through the India–US interim agreement framework. He added that the pact would open access to a USD 30 trillion market for Indian exporters, particularly MSMEs, farmers, and fishermen.

“The agreement reflects India’s commitment to safeguarding farmers’ interests and sustaining rural livelihoods by completely protecting sensitive agricultural and dairy products, including maize, wheat, rice, soya, poultry, milk, cheese, ethanol (fuel), tobacco, certain vegetables, and meat,” Goyal said.

The United States and India commit to addressing discriminatory or burdensome practices and other barriers to digital trade and to setting a clear pathway to achieve robust, ambitious, and mutually beneficial digital trade rules as part of the BTA.

24. Big Wins for European Farmers, Calibrated Gains for Indian Agriculture in EU Trade Deal

RuralVoice, 27 Jan. 2026, R. Suryamurthy

Under the pact, India will reduce or eliminate tariffs on a broad basket of EU agricultural and processed food exports. Duties on olive oil, margarine and other vegetable oils — currently as high as 45% — will be cut to zero. Tariffs of up to 55% on fruit juices and non-alcoholic beer will also be eliminated, while sheep and lamb meat exports from the EU will gain full duty-free access from a current tariff of 33%.

European farmers and agri-food producers stand to be among the principal beneficiaries of the India–European Union free trade agreement (FTA) concluded on Tuesday, as the deal dismantles some of the highest agricultural tariffs in the Indian market while tightly shielding the EU’s own sensitive farm sectors, according to official releases from Brussels and New Delhi.

The agreement significantly improves access for EU agri-food exports to India, where average farm tariffs often exceed 36%, a long-standing barrier for European producers. The European Commission estimates the FTA could save EU exporters up to €4 billion annually in duties once fully implemented, strengthening the competitiveness of European food products in one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer markets.

Processed food categories such as bread, biscuits, pasta, chocolate and pet food, which face tariffs of up to 50%, will also enter India at zero duty. Alcoholic beverages, a key European interest, will see calibrated liberalisation: wine tariffs of 150% will be reduced to 20% for premium wines and 30% for mid-range segments, while duties on spirits will fall to 40% from levels as high as 150%.

EU officials say the concessions could substantially expand Europe’s agri-food footprint in India, where EU exports currently lag behind those to markets such as China or the United States. EU agri-food exports to India already support around 800,000 jobs across the bloc, and the Commission expects that number to rise as trade volumes grow.

EU draws firm red lines on sensitive agriculture

At the same time, the EU has clearly ring-fenced its own agricultural sensitivities. No tariff concessions will be granted on sugar and ethanol, rice and soft wheat, beef and poultry, milk powders, bananas and honey. Imports of table grapes and cucumbers — areas where Indian exporters are competitive — will be subject to tightly calibrated tariff-rate quotas, limiting volumes entering the EU market.

The EU has also underlined that its high sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards will remain fully intact. Under the SPS chapter of the FTA, the EU’s stringent rules on animal and plant health, as well as food safety, will continue to apply with no exceptions, European officials said. Enhanced cooperation mechanisms are intended to improve transparency and information-sharing, but without diluting regulatory requirements.

Trade analysts say these safeguards were critical in securing political buy-in from European farming lobbies, which have been wary of import competition amid already volatile global food markets.

India’s gains: targeted access, guarded core

For India, the agricultural gains are more selective but strategically important. The EU will offer preferential market access for a range of Indian products, including tea, coffee, spices, table grapes, gherkins and cucumbers, dried onions, fresh fruits and vegetables, and certain processed foods, according to India’s commerce ministry.

Officials argue that lower tariffs and predictable rules will help Indian farmers and agri-exporters move up the value chain, tapping Europe’s premium market for traceable and sustainably produced food. Although agriculture forms a relatively small share of overall India–EU merchandise trade — valued at about $136.5 billion in 2024–25 — policymakers see substantial headroom for growth in high-value niches.

Crucially, India has protected its most sensitive farm sectors. Dairy, cereals, poultry, soymeal and several fruits and vegetables have been excluded from tariff liberalisation, reflecting domestic concerns over rural livelihoods and food security. India is the world’s largest milk producer, with millions of smallholders dependent on the sector, making dairy a political red line in trade negotiations.

Standards and structure

The agreement also includes strict rules of origin to ensure that only goods substantially produced or processed in India or the EU benefit from tariff preferences, reducing the risk of third-country trans-shipment. Provisions on SPS and technical barriers aim to cut delays and compliance costs without weakening regulatory oversight.

The FTA must still undergo legal scrubbing and ratification by the European Parliament and India’s authorities before entering into force. Once implemented, officials on both sides see it reshaping agri-trade flows — giving European farmers unprecedented access to the Indian market, while offering Indian agriculture carefully circumscribed entry into one of the world’s most regulated food markets.

25. Which country is the largest producer of sweet potato?

Jagran Josh, by Jasreet Kaur, 6 Feb. 2026

Key takeaways

Largest Producer: China produces more sweet potatoes than any other country, thanks to its vast arable land, diverse climates, and government support for root crops.

Key Growing Regions: Major provinces include Hunan, Hebei, Shandong, Henan, and Guangxi, offering ideal soil, temperature, and rainfall for high yields.

Uses & Importance: Sweet potato is consumed as food, animal feed, and industrial products (flour, noodles, snacks, biofuel), supporting food security and rural economies.

Which Country Is the Largest Producer of Sweet Potato?

Sweet potato is a widely cultivated root crop valued for its high nutritional content, adaptability to diverse climates, and role in food security. It is grown across Asia, Africa and the Americas for human consumption, animal feed and industrial uses. Although many countries produce substantial quantities of sweet potato, one country stands far above all others in terms of total output.

Largest Producer of Sweet Potato in the World

China is the largest producer of sweet potato in the world. The country produces more sweet potatoes than any other, contributing a remarkable share of global output. China’s extensive agricultural land, diverse agro-climatic zones and government support for root crop cultivation have enabled it to maintain this leadership position for many years.

Why Is China the Largest Sweet Potato Producer?

China’s dominance in sweet potato production can be attributed to several factors. Vast arable land allows cultivation across multiple provinces, ranging from temperate to subtropical climates. Sweet potato is a traditional staple in many regions of China, particularly in areas with limited irrigation infrastructure, since the crop is drought-tolerant and resilient. Government policies promoting root and tuber crop research, improved seed varieties and extension services have further boosted production.

Sweet Potato Growing Regions in China

Sweet potato cultivation in China is widespread, but the largest producing provinces include Hunan, Hebei, Shandong, Henan, and Guangxi. These regions combine favourable soil, suitable temperatures and adequate rainfall, supporting high yields. In Hunan, for example, sweet potato is grown both as a food crop and for industrial processing due to its high starch content.

Uses of Sweet Potato in China

In China, sweet potato is consumed in many forms, boiled, steamed, roasted, or processed into flour, noodles, snacks and alcoholic beverages. It is also used as animal feed due to its high energy value. Sweet potato’s versatility in food preparation and industrial uses contributes to its widespread cultivation across the country.

Economic Importance of Sweet Potato Production

Sweet potato production plays a significant role in China’s rural economy. It supports millions of smallholder farmers, provides food security in poorer regions, and supplies raw material for agro-industries. The crop’s resilience to poor soils and low water requirements make it a reliable source of income and sustenance.

Sweet Potato Production in Other Countries

Other major sweet potato producers include Nigeria, Tanzania, Indonesia and Vietnam. While these countries produce substantial quantities, none match China’s production volume. Many of these nations focus on sweet potato to enhance food security and support local diets, especially in rural communities.

Nutritional Importance of Sweet Potato

Sweet potato is one of the most nutritious root crops in the world. It is rich in dietary fibre, complex carbohydrates, vitamins (especially vitamin A), minerals and antioxidants. Orange-fleshed sweet potato varieties are particularly valued for their high beta-carotene content, which supports eye health and immune function.

sweet potato producer

Interesting Facts About Sweet Potato Production in the World

Largest Single-Country Share

China produces the highest amount of sweet potato in the world by a large margin, far exceeding other producing countries.

Staple Food in Many Regions

Sweet potato serves as a staple or secondary staple in many developing countries due to its adaptability, simplicity in cultivation and high nutritional value.

Drought Tolerance

Sweet potato can be grown in areas with limited rainfall and poor soils, making it valuable for regions prone to drought or climatic stress.

Industrial Uses

Sweet potato is processed into starch, flour, chips, animal feed and even biofuel, making it an economically important crop beyond direct consumption.

Food Security Crop

Sweet potato’s resilience and nutrition make it a priority crop in food security programmes, especially in Africa and Asia.

China is the largest producer of sweet potato in the world due to its vast cultivation area, diverse climate zones, long-standing agricultural practices and support for tuber crop development. Keep reading for more such topics.

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Thursday, 19 February 2026

Newsletter, February 2026

– GENERAL POLICY, INFRASTRUCTURES, COUNTRY FINANCES, ETC.

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NEWSLETTER, February 2026

– GENERAL POLICY, INFRASTRUCTURES, COUNTRY FINANCES, ETC.

- Agriculture, Fishing and Rural Development

- Industry and Manufacture

- Services (Education, Healthcare, IT, R&D, Tourism, etc.)

INDIA and the World