Roots · जल-अन्न Water and food
More from every drop, more from every acre.
India has about 17% of the world’s people and 4% of its fresh water. It grows record harvests and still has children who are too short for their age. The answer is not more water or more grain. It is more value from every drop and every acre.
Seven positions, stated plainly.
Every drop counts.
Drip and recharge first. River linking debated on its merits. Water priced so that it is saved. Over 80% of India’s water goes to farms, so that is where saving starts.
Farmers as entrepreneurs.
Agri-tech, farmer producer companies, processing and exports. India grew a record harvest and its farm exports grew far slower. The value is made after the harvest.
Nutrition, not just calories.
Millets, protein and an end to stunting. More than a third of young children are stunted. Feeding people and nourishing them are two different jobs.
Climate-proof farming.
Drip saves water and energy and raises yields at the same time. Farms that need less water survive the hot years.
Start with the three states drawing more than nature puts back.
Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana use more groundwater than rain replaces. Tube wells water 48% of India’s irrigated land.
Make drip the default, not a subsidy.
After a decade drip and sprinkler cover only 8.1% of net sown area, though they save water and raise yields together.
Turn record harvests into record exports.
Output rose 5.3% last year and farm exports 2.8%. Processing and brands close that gap, and that is where farmers earn more.
Water and food in eight numbers.
- 17% / 4% World’s people / its fresh water: India’s share of each.
- 60.6% Groundwater extraction stage: 2025 assessment.
- 730 Over-exploited groundwater units: Of 6,762. 10.8%, down from 17.2% in 2017.
- 59.3% Net sown area irrigated: Tube wells water 48% of it.
- 8.1% Net sown area under drip and sprinkler: 115 lakh ha.
- 376.6 MT Foodgrain, 2025-26: A record. Third advance estimate.
- $52.6 bn Farm exports, FY26: Up 2.8%.
- 80.2% Rural homes with tap water: Mar 2025. 16.7% in Aug 2019.
Sources: Jal Shakti ministry; PIB, Dec 2025 and Jan 2026; DES Land Use Statistics; PIB, Aug 2026; Agriculture ministry estimates; Commerce ministry; IANS.