Agribusiness Summit 2025 organised by PHDCCI at Taj Palace, New Delhi offers a valuable opportunity to reflect on the insights and commitments shared over the course of the event. Leaders, experts, and participants come together one last time to celebrate the progress made and to reinforce their dedication to driving innovation, sustainability, and growth in India’s agriculture sector. It is a moment to join hands and look ahead with renewed energy toward the shared goal of transforming agribusiness for a prosperous future.
Dr. Raj Bhushan Choudhary, Hon’ble Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Government of India, underscored water’s irreplaceable role as agriculture’s lifeblood, emphasizing that farming is impossible without it despite efforts to minimize usage alongside fertilizers for healthier nutrition. Noting only 4% safe drinking water availability, he called for urgent conservation amid climate change impacts like flash floods from intense rains that prevent soil percolation, contrasting with slower rains that recharge groundwater. The Minister busted myths about fertilizers generating soil water, warning that pollution contaminates the entire ecosystem, and urged collective awareness to prioritize water security alongside internet access even in remote areas like Mangalore. Stressing government initiatives discussed with the Prime Minister, Dr. Choudhary affirmed sustainable water management as essential for India’s agricultural future.
Dr. P.K. Singh, Agriculture Commissioner, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, emphasized balancing heartfelt farmer emotions with practical actions towards self-reliance by 2047, envisioning empowered farmers at the core of sustainable growth. He reflected on lessons from GM cotton, initial promise unmet due to neglecting traditional variety development and stressed prioritizing income enhancement and tripling agricultural GDP through cost reduction by affordable inputs, mechanization, and labor savings, while addressing concerns over patented chemicals and data protection. Dr. Singh highlighted the need for crops with higher returns per unit area and short duration, noting horticulture’s success despite higher labor costs. Advocating Good Agricultural Practices for domestic and export quality, he pointed to market stabilization challenges and the rise of organic farming to reduce input dependence. He called for accelerated technology transfer, stronger trust among farmers, R&D, and industry, and pointed to pressing challenges like nutritional security, climate-smart agriculture, improved finance access, and infrastructure funding. Quoting the Bhagavad Gita, he reinforced the union of knowledge and action, concluding with a hopeful mantra for prosperity and health, confident that India can achieve transformative growth, closing productivity gaps with countries like China.
Mr. Ankur Aggarwal, Chairman and Managing Director, Crystal Crop Protection Ltd., championed a “Farmer First” approach as the cornerstone for success, noting the government’s rebranding of the Ministry Agriculture and Farmer Welfare places farmers squarely at the center. He assured that agri-input and crop protection industries often misunderstood as purely profit-driven – actually prioritize boosting farmer productivity, while advocating a perception shift from “pesticides” to “plant medicines” and highlighted the vital role of crop protection chemicals in feeding India’s growing population when used correctly. Calling for industry-government collaboration to establish Centers of Excellence for residue-safe global technologies that enhance exports and consumer safety, Mr. Aggarwal stressed creating an innovation framework amid data protection debates- where initial registration costs Rs. 25-30 crore, stewardship Rs. 50 crore, and patents offer 15-30 years protection, to support Make in India without burdening farmers. Praising the summit deliberations led by R.G. Agarwal and confident in actionable papers for government and industry, he envisioned elevating agriculture for Viksit Bharat 2047.
Dr. R.G. Agarwal, Chair, Agribusiness Committee, PHDCCI, pointed out critical challenges and opportunities in India’s agricultural input and extension systems. He highlighted that despite improvements like the earlier TNV training system, the current extension system struggles to reach 14 crore farmers across 600,000 villages. Emphasizing scientific soil health management and the shortage of hybrid seeds, he noted that India lags with only 349 product registrations compared to over 1,200 globally, while data generation and product approvals take years and cost crores. This creates barriers for innovation, discouraging multinational investment. Quality control weaknesses and poor sampling allow counterfeit inputs, harming farmers. With 33% of tomatoes and 36% of vegetables wasted due to marketing inefficiencies, he stressed the need for modernized marketing and digitized farm-to-market platforms to boost exports. India, the world’s fourth largest producer and second largest exporter of plant medicines, must enhance R&D spending from the current 0.7% of GDP and support national agriculture councils. Dr. Agarwal expressed confidence that with strengthened infrastructure and policies, India can double its agricultural exports from $50 billion to $100 billion in the next three years, fostering greater farmer prosperity and national growth.
The session concluded with speakers emphasizing the collective responsibility to carry the momentum forward and turn discussions into tangible outcomes. The commitment to embrace cutting-edge technologies, foster collaboration, and empower farmers remains stronger than ever. As stakeholders depart, the spirit of partnership and innovation igniting here will continue to inspire actions that shape a resilient and thriving agricultural ecosystem for India in the years to come.
