Pulses push: New govt mission should help reduce import dependence

Past experience in India shows that production, higher minimum support prices, and procurement alone cannot solve the problem

The Union Cabinet’s announcement of the ₹11,440 crore “Mission for Atmanirbharta in Pulses” is both timely and necessary. Pulses are central to the country’s food security, nutritional adequacy, and environmental resilience. Yet, India remains far from self-sufficient. In 2024-25, imports surged to 7.3 million tonnes (mt), worth $5.5 billion, surpassing the previous record of 6.6 mt in 2016-17. The sharp reversal comes after years of progress, exposing structural gaps in productivity and demand management.  A recent report by the NITI Aayog on pulses underscores the scale of the problem. It projects that under normative dietary standards the country is expected