Rice and Wheat: The Engine of India’s Agricultural Growth and Development towards achieving SDGs of Zero Hunger and Viksit Bharat

India's rice and wheat, the most widely consumed cereals globally, account for around 20% of the country's agricultural GDP, ensuring national food security and economic stability. India, the world's second-largest producer of food grain, primarily rice and wheat, is a major exporter of these products, contributing significantly to its foreign exchange and trade balance. The study analyzes food grain, rice, and wheat production trends in India over the past seven decades using agricultural census data, focusing on area, production, and yield. The analysis utilized statistical tools such as Annual Growth Rate (AGR), decadal mean, and correlation for analytical purposes. India has experienced significant growth in food grain production, particularly rice and wheat, over the past seven decades, but the growth rates have been uneven. The Green Revolution, initiated in the late 1960s, significantly increased production by 8.96% growth rate in food grain during 1969-70 over 1970-71. The food grain production experienced the highest growth of 18.13% during 1979-80 over 1980-81, largely due to favorable monsoon conditions and increased adoption of high-yielding varieties. India experienced negative growth of -6.19% during 1999-2000 over 2000-01, indicating challenges such as droughts, input cost fluctuations, and policy constraints in food grain production. Rice production experienced significant growth of 4.43% and 26.70%, especially during the Green Revolution era of 1969–70 over 1970–71 and 1979–80 over 1980–81. The increase in crop yield can be attributed to the introduction of high-yielding varieties, expansion of irrigation systems, and increased fertilizer usage. The negative growth periods of 1999-2000 over 2000-01, with a growth rate of -5.24%, indicate vulnerability to climatic and economic shocks in rice production. Wheat production experienced 18.62% growth during post-Green Revolution, driven by high-yielding varieties, mechanization, and irrigated areas expansion, particularly in 1969-70 over 1970-71. Negative growth phases of wheat (-8.76%, such as 1999-2000 over 2000-01, indicate vulnerabilities to market fluctuations and climatic variations. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers to improve weather forecasting, promote insurance schemes, and encourage farmers to adopt climate-resilient crops through climate adaptation strategies. The study results emphasizes the significance of aligning minimum support prices with cost fluctuations and promoting diversification to achieve sustainable development goals like Zero Hunger and Viksit Bharat.