Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: PULSES – an enormous source of healthy and protein-rich food – are an integral part of India’s food and farming traditions, providing nutritional security to citizens and livelihoods for millions of farmers. On October 11, 2025, the Hon’ble Prime Minister launched the ‘Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses’ to boost production and bring self-sufficiency in pulses by 2030- 31, with an allocation of Rs 11,440 crore.
The Prime Minister remarked, “The objective of the ‘Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses’ is not just to increase the production of pulses, but to make future generations strong by providing nutritious food.” The mission focuses on ensuring availability of high yielding seeds and enhancing farmer’s income alongside achieving nutritional security by maintaining steady supply of pulses.
Production challenges Pulses production in India declined during 2014–2016 crop years. In response to this critical situation, the Government of India has taken various measures to boost production. As a result of these sustained efforts, pulses output revealed significant increase.
Even though there is a steady increase in the domestic pulse production, the consumption of pulses continues to outpace supply, which leads to periodic imports. Becoming selfreliant in pulse production seeks to bridge this gap, which has long been a great challenge.
Mostly grown under rainfed conditions, pulses get affected both by erratic rainfall and drought. Adding to the weather uncertainties are threats of pests and diseases, low productivity of pulses could be linked with its limited access to the improved seed varieties. The ‘Mission of Atmanirbharta in Pulses’ bears potential to transform India’s agricultural economy within a targeted period of five years. The mission will make pulse cultivation more profitable and dependable for farmers, while ensuring a sustainable and protein-rich food source for the nation.
Seeding self-sufficiency
The ‘Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses’ seeks to bridge the gap by adopting a comprehensive approach, from seeds to market, ultimately increasing production, productivity, and farmer income. The mission will follow a cluster-based strategy with greater involvement of farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and cooperatives to ensure effective implementation and wider outreach. Cropspecific clusters will be developed based on area and yield potential with targeted interventions.
The mission will develop high-yielding, climate-resilient seeds and heat tolerant seeds with the help of ICAR and CGIAR Institutes. It will also focus on scaling up production and distribution of high-yielding variety (HYV) of pulses through an efficient seed value chain. This would ensure farmers access to have quality breeder, foundation, and certified seeds. Coupled with crop demonstrations by ICAR institutes, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), and state agriculture departments, they will be exposed to improved farming practices. Potential expansion into targeted rice fallow, crop diversification and intercropping would facilitate to bring additional area under pulses cultivation.
The big push
To reduce post-harvest losses and help farmer get a better price, 1,000 processing units will be set up across the country. Procurement facility for Tur, Urad, and Masoor from all registered and interested farmers at Minimum Support Price (MSP) will be ensured for the next four years. This is expected to bring confidence among farmers, stabilise prices, and ensure steady incomes.
Such a move could be a game-changer in pulse cultivation, encouraging more farmers to take up pulse cultivation and expand acreage. By ensuring both high production and fair returns, the mission will infuse confidence among pulse farmers and strengthen the nation’s protein base.
By 2030-31, the mission aims to expand the area under pulses from 275 lakh hectares in 2023–24 to 310 lakh hectares, increase production from 242 lakh tonnes to 350 lakh tonnes, and increase yield levels from 881 kg/ha to 1130 kg/ha. Approximately two crore farmers are expected to benefit directly from this mission.
Beyond production targets, the mission envisages a shift toward sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture to promote pulses production, which will conserve water, enrich soil health through nitrogen fixation, and reduce dependence on chemical fertilisers.
Farm, field and future
By linking the mission with existing schemes like micro-irrigation, mechanisation, crop insurance, and agricultural credit, the Government aims to create synergy and convergence for long-term sustainability. Furthermore, processing, packaging, and enhancing the entire pulses value chain will be assisted in this farming ecosystem. The mission aligns with India’s Vision 2047, which envisions a food-secure, sustainable, and self-reliant agriculture sector. By providing farmers with better seeds, assured markets and modern technology, the Government underscores a long-term commitment, one that values both the farmer and the soil.
As India moves closer to self-reliance in pulses, the mission marks a turning point in the country’s journey toward food and nutritional security. Ultimately, the ‘Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses’ is more than an investment in crops, it is an investment in confidence: the confidence of farmers, to know that their produce has both value and a secured future.
