Examining global competitiveness of Indian agribusiness in the twenty-first century Asian context: opportunities and challenges

Abstract

Indian agribusiness is being seen as an important arena for creation of employment and income for large sections of India’s rural and agrarian population in the coming years and decades by public agencies, nationally and globally. This is happening in the context of strong agribusiness sectors in the neighbouring countries of China and those in the South-East and East Asia. This article examines the global context of agribusiness competitiveness from an Indian perspective, including the global trade regime and focusses on a few key sectors like dairying, cereals, fruits and vegetables and identifies major factors in their export performance from a value chain perspective. It also examines key global trade policies at the World Trade Organization (WTO) level and Indian agribusiness policy domain to explore ways forward to focus on promising sectors with an appropriate policy and practice steps.