Government think-tank Niti Aayog has outlined a comprehensive strategy to make India self-sufficient in pulses by 2030 and double production by 2047, projecting output to rise from 26.06 million tonnes (MT) in 2022 to 34.45 MT by 2030 and further to 51.57 MT by 2047.According to the report, the projections are based on aggregate as well as crop-wise estimates, with individual crop-level production likely at 32.1 MT by 2030 and 50.7 MT by 2047. Supply is projected at 30.6 MT by 2030 and 45.8 MT by 2047, factoring in seed, feed and wastage, which has averaged 11.2 per cent of gross production in the past decade. By 2030, India is expected to see a surplus of 3.79 MT, which may further rise to 16.48 MT by 2047, as per news agency ANI.The report has recommended targeted interventions including crop-wise clustering, adoption of region-specific technologies, high-quality seed distribution, and “one block one seed village” cluster-based cultivation across 111 high-potential districts. It further stressed the importance of proactive climate adaptation and data-led monitoring to ensure Aatmanirbharta.On the demand side, the report highlighted the need to promote healthy consumption in line with ICMR-NIN recommendations by creating awareness on the nutritional value of pulses and encouraging their inclusion in daily diets.Using this occasion to highlight challenges, agriculture secretary Devesh Chaturvedi noted that India faces a “major challenge” in boosting production of pulses and oilseeds, despite progress in rice and wheat. “Pulses are an important part of the diet in India and have very little elasticity and replaceability, unlike edible oils,” he said, as per news agency PTI.Chaturvedi emphasised the need for breakthroughs in high-yield varieties and improved seed replacement rates, adding that “pulse is such a food crop that there are no hybrid varieties… If this is achieved, our productivity will increase on a very large scale.”ICAR director general ML Jat also called for strengthening local seed systems and intensifying research on weed management and genomic breeding. He noted that weeds are causing losses of up to 30-40 per cent in rabi pulses.Niti Aayog said the convergence of supply and demand-side approaches, combined with innovations and climate adaptation, will help bridge gaps in the sector and ensure a sustainable future for pulses production.
