Indian Agricultural Sector- Opportunities and Challenges

India has the tenth largest area of arable land in the world. According to the 2011 agricultural census, 61.5 percent of the country's total population lives in rural India. The agricultural sector, now under the purview of the World Trade Organization (WTO), supports nearly 75% of the Indian rural population and contributes approximately 34.1% to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). India ranks first in milk production and second in rice production. It is a major producer of wheat and has the largest cattle and livestock population in the world. However, several difficulties are observed in the development of the Indian agricultural sector. These difficulties represent the challenges facing the agricultural sector. Therefore, this research paper examines these challenges.