Addressing a post-Budget webinar on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the nation’s farmers to capitalise on India’s varied agro-climatic zones to boost productivity and secure a larger share of the global export market. While delivering a speech on the theme of ‘Agriculture and Rural Transformation,’ the Prime Minister emphasised the need for a “unified approach” wherein experts and farmers need to join hands to achieve quality and brand standards at the global level.
The PM also stated, “Today, the demand for healthy and ‘green’ options is increasing all over the world, and we are in a position to fill this gap. It is essential that we discuss making our agriculture more export-oriented, and with this, we will automatically see more employment being generated in rural areas.”
The 2026-27 Budget has specifically targeted high-value commodities such as cashew, cocoa, and sandalwood. The Prime Minister also drew attention to the promotion of Agarwood in the North East and temperate nut crops in the Himalayan regions. He argued that scaling up these specific sectors would transform Indian agriculture into a globally competitive powerhouse.
A significant portion of the address was dedicated to the move away from industrial chemicals. With the world increasingly focused on holistic health, Modi described natural farming as a "highway" to reaching lucrative international markets. He also reaffirmed the government's financial commitment to the sector, noting that nearly 100 million farmers have now received over ₹4 lakh crore via the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
Turning to the ‘Blue Economy’, the Prime Minister highlighted that India is already the world’s second-largest fish producer. However, he suggested that with new business models in hatcheries and logistics, the country could unlock an additional two million tonnes of production, making fisheries a major pillar for export growth and rural prosperity.
Finally, the Prime Minister discussed the social and technological goals. First, he emphasized the need for a deeper ‘technology culture’ in the fields, asking entrepreneurs to invest in agri-fintech and supply chain technology. Secondly, the Prime Minister announced an ambitious goal for the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ initiative, with the aim of creating 30 million more successful women entrepreneurs by the year 2029. Lastly, to reduce traditional risks, the Prime Minister asked states to push for crop diversification and sought suggestions on how to combine traditional farming with new technology more effectively.
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