New Delhi, March 13 -- India's independence in 1947 came with a pressing challenge: widespread food insecurity and insurmountable hunger. The scars of the Bengal famine, which claimed nearly 3.8 million lives, were still fresh, and the nation struggled with low agricultural productivity and heavy dependence on food imports.

Often described as a "ship-to-mouth" economy, India's food supply relied on urgent shipments from abroad to prevent mass starvation. However, over the decades, India undertook a remarkable agricultural transformation, evolving from a food-deficit nation into a global agricultural powerhouse. Today, agriculture remains the backbone of India's economy, employing nearly 45 per cent of the labour force. India has not only...