Six-year plan to make India self-reliant in pulses by 2030-31

 

From Import Dependence to Self-Sufficiency

India is the world's largest producer of pulses, a globally important, protein-rich food crop. Pulses contain 20-25% protein, more than double that of wheat and nearly three times that of rice. Pulses contribute significantly to India's agricultural exports and remain a vital part of Indian diets, ensuring nutritional security. Recognising this importance, the government launched the 'Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses' on October 11, 2025. As the nation observes the first anniversary of the Mission’s launch on October 11, this landmark initiative continues its momentum, backed by a financial allocation of ₹11,440 crore spanning 2025–26 to 2030–31. The Mission seeks to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses production. It focuses on boosting domestic production, reducing import dependence, and enhancing farmers' income through a comprehensive value-chain approach.

A Mission with a Clear Target

Under the Mission, by 2030-31, production is expected to reach nearly 350 lakh tonnes, with yield rising to 1,130 kg per hectare. Key strategic measures driving these targets include:

• Focus on enhancing production of Tur, Urad and Masoor
• Promotion of climate-resilient seeds and improved seed quality
• Distribution of 87.5 lakh free seed kits and 126 lakh quintals of certified seeds over six years
• Expands pulse cultivation area by 35 lakh hectares to reach a total targeted area of 310 lakh hectares by 2030–31.
• Cluster-based approach covering 489 districts to intensify production
• Establishment of 1,000 processing units (dal mills)
• Assured procurement of Tur, Urad and Masoor via NCCF and NAFED from willing and registered farmer.
• Expected to reduce import dependence and conserve foreign exchange

India’s Pulse Powerhouse

India’s pulse sector showed strong growth in domestic production, farming area, and crop yield during 2025-26. Steady agricultural progress and strong local output continue to strengthen the nation’s pulse economy.

• India’s total pulse production rose to 274.09 lakh tonnes in 2025-26 (3^rd Advance Estimates) from 256.83 lakh tonnes in 2024-25.
• India's pulse cultivation area expanded significantly from 277.20 lakh hectares in 2024-25 to 286.46 lakh hectares in 2025-26.
• The major regions of Pulse cultivation are Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal.
• National pulse productivity improved as the overall yield increased from 926 kg per hectare in 2024-25 to 957 kg per hectare in 2025-26.

• India’s pulses imports declined by 31.52%, from ₹46,427.60 crore in 2024-25 to ₹31,793.59 crore in 2025-26.
• India’s pulses exports rose 13.40%, from USD 855 million in 2024-25 to USD 969.53 million in 2025-26. The total export volume reached a total volume of 10.01 lakh tonnes during 2025–26.
• In 2025-26, major export destinations included China, UAE, Bangladesh, the U.S.A., and Sri Lanka.

Rising MSP, Assured Procurement

The government continues to strengthen price security for pulse farmers through substantial increases in Minimum Support Prices. Higher support prices ensure fair returns and incentivize increased domestic production of key pulse crops.

• For the marketing season 2024-25, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Urad was fixed at ₹7,400 per quintal, which was increased by ₹800 (10.81%) to ₹8,200 per quintal for 2026-27.
• For the year 2024-25, the MSP for Tur (Arhar) stood at ₹7,550 per quintal, which saw an enhancement of ₹900 (11.92%) to reach ₹8,450 per quintal in 2026-27.
• For the year 2024-25, the MSP for Masur (Lentil) was set at ₹6,700 per quintal, which was revised upward by ₹300 (4.48%) to ₹7,000 per quintal for 2026-27.

Under the Mission, National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited (NCCF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) are authorized to procure 100% of Tur, Masur, and Urad for a period of four years (2025–26 to 2028–29). As of June 17, 2026, key achievements from the NCCF Pulses Procurement Dashboard include:

• NCCF achieved a total pulses procurement of 10.55 lakh tonnes across 9 states. A total Minimum Support Price (MSP) value of ₹7,047 crore was released directly to farmers. The initiative successfully benefited 4.69 lakh farmers out of 7.74 lakh total registered farmers.

• Under Kharif 2025-26, 7.89 lakh tonnes of pulses worth ₹6,431 crore were procured, benefiting 3.66 lakh farmers.
• Under Rabi 2026-27, procurement of pulses reached 23.51 lakh tonnes with an MSP release of ₹14,217 crore, benefiting 10.20 lakh farmers.

• Pulses procurement expanded from 18,39,504.77 tonnes in 2024-25 to 31,40,883.92 tonnes in 2025-26.

Mission’s Key Early Progress

The Mission's early progress reflects steady momentum in building infrastructure and expanding farmer support. Key achievements so far include:

• The Mission envisages 1,000 pulse processing units, with 528 units already allocated to States and Union Territories in the first phase.
• A total of 23 pulse processing units have been approved for Creation and Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities (CEFPPC) under Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY). Out of these approved infrastructure projects, 18 pulse processing units have been successfully completed.
• To boost pulses in rice-fallow areas, the Mission targets to distribute 87.5 lakh seed kits over six years, with 9.25 lakh kits distributed during Rabi 2025-26.

Digital Monitoring & Seed Traceability

The government leverages advanced digital platforms to ensure seamless monitoring, real-time oversight, and targeted execution across all levels:

• A three-tier Steering Committee network monitors planning, implementation, and progress at the national, state, and district levels.
• The Krishi Mapper application enables precise geo-fencing, land geo-tagging, and real-time tracking of seed variety demonstrations and yields.
• Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory (SATHI) portal provides a holistic approach to encompass the seed life cycle over seed generations. This measure is achieved through automation of the seed supply chain, starting from seed production to certification and seed sale.
• AgriStack & Digital Crop Survey: Integrates unified Farmer IDs with Soil Health Card analytics and verified plot surveys to ensure targeted nutrient delivery and accurate harvest forecasts.
• Verification platforms like E-Samriddhi and Vistaar ensure direct payments, real-time market data, and domestic price stability.

Sowing Today, Securing Tomorrow

The early momentum indicates that the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses is successfully bridging policy intent and ground-level execution. Guaranteed price support has restored grower confidence, while digital platforms like SATHI and e-Samriddhi ensure full supply chain transparency. As India moves toward its 2030–31 production target of 350 lakh tonnes, this integrated value-chain framework promises not only long-term national protein security and foreign exchange savings, but also a replicable model for self-sufficiency across the broader agricultural economy.

References

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2177847&reg=48&lang=2

https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-09/Strategies-and-Pathways-for-Accelerating-Growth-in-Pulses-towards-the-Goal-of-Atmanirbharta.pdf

https://www.ibef.org/news/union-cabinet-approves-mission-for-aatmanirbharta-in-pulses-with-rs-11-440-crore-us-1-24-billion-outlay-to-achieve-self-sufficiency-by-2030-31

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2284230&reg=48&lang=1

https://upag.gov.in/dash-reports/progressivecropareasown

https://apeda.gov.in/Pulses

https://pulsesmission.da.gov.in/pulseswebinar.aspx

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2239790&reg=48&lang=2

https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/union-cabinet-approves-mission-for-aatmanirbharta-in-pulses-for-2025-26-to-2030-31/

 

PIB Backgrounders

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?NoteId=155497&ModuleId=3&reg=48&lang=1

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