Challenges, opportunities and innovation in Indian rural economy

Abstract

In this paper, long winding problems of agriculture sector in India has been elaborated with a focus on the core policies, structure, and exogenous factors such as climate change. The aim of the study is to highlight the existing inequalities amongst the farmers based on the land holding and a mixed bag of policy responses by the government. With a high intervening role of official agencies, poor pricing policy, input inaccessibility and low incentives for innovation, agriculture has remained by and large a risky and less profitable venture. In conclusion, a suggestion on minimalistic role for government agencies and decentralised farmers-oriented marketing model for price discovery has been emphasized which is based on the Gandhian philosophy of rural development.