THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047 would depend on sustained investment in innovation and effective communication, Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CTCRI) director G Baiju has said, while highlighting the need for technology-led agriculture. He was inaugurating ‘Varta’, a workshop for media professionals organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), in association with CTCRI.

Baiju also stressed the need for science-driven, climate-resilient agriculture to meet the demands of a growing population and rapid urbanisation. He emphasised the media’s role in taking agricultural innovations from laboratories to farmers and ensuring that scientific knowledge reaches society in a timely and accessible manner.

India’s population is expected to exceed 160 crore by 2047, while urbanisation and demand for food, nutrition, feed, bioenergy and industrial raw materials are set to rise sharply, he said. To meet these challenges, agriculture must become more productive, sustainable, climate-resilient and technology-driven, Baiju added. He pointed out that agriculture continues to be one of the most important driving forces of the Indian economy, contributing 16.3% to the country’s GDP.

Explaining the major achievements of the Indian agricultural sector, he said the first was the remarkable increase in productivity. Foodgrain production, which stood at 50.8 million tonnes in 1950-51, has risen to 376.5 million tonnes in 2025-26, despite only a marginal increase in cultivated area. Horticulture production has also crossed 370 million tonnes. The agricultural sector has maintained an average annual growth rate of 4.4% over the past seven years. He said that science, innovation and effective communication would be central to continue this.