Agricultural economist Ashok Gulati has warned that India risks jeopardising $50 billion worth of exports if it refuses to engage in agriculture in the ongoing trade negotiations with the United States. In an exclusive interview with India Today, he said India should rationalise tariffs on farm goods and not fall for "ideological" fears.

"That agriculture is not insulated from the economy," Gulati said. "We are importing $37 billion worth of farm products, and from the U.S. alone we import just $2 billion. Against that, we export about $5.9 billion. If we remain rigid and refuse to open up any sector, we risk losing the big export of $50 billion."

He stressed that India already relies heavily on imports. "We are not living in autarky," he said. "Almost 55 to 60 percent of the edible oil that you consume is imported. To say we will not allow any imports is ridiculous."

Agriculture and dairy have emerged as the biggest sticking points in the proposed India-US trade deal, with Washington pressing New Delhi to lower tariffs on farm goods. India has so far held firm, citing the need to protect its farmers and rural economy.

India's tariffs, he argued, were overdue for reform. "If edible oil can come at 10 percent duty and cotton at zero, then why do we have 45 percent duty on corn, 50 to 60 percent on soybean, or skimmed milk powder?" he asked. "We have been unduly overprotective. My feeling is 80 percent of our agriculture is very competitive."

On the sensitive issue of genetically modified crops, Gulati called India's policy inconsistent. "Ninety-five percent of cotton in this country is GM, and its seed is fed to poultry and cattle," he said. "But we say corn, which is mostly feed, cannot be GM. That's not based on science. It's an ideology."

He suggested calibrated measures such as tariff-rate quotas. "Up to two million tons of corn could be allowed when production is around 42 million tons," he said. "Even if you open up, sometimes you will import, sometimes you will export. Prices are already close to international levels."

Gulati pointed to the risk of retaliation if India remained inflexible. "Our biggest agricultural export to the U.S. is shrimp, worth billions, and it goes at almost zero duty," he said. "If they put a 50 percent tariff on it, those exports will collapse overnight. Are we ready to bear that loss — and the political fallout in Andhra Pradesh?"

The economist urged negotiators to strike a balance. "Trade is always give and take," he said. "If they want self-sufficiency in agriculture, first thing they should do is stop all the imports of edible oils which are 17 billion dollars. 55 to 60% of your consumption of edible oil is being imported. Why are you importing that? Are the farmers of oil seeds not important? So this hypocrisy should not be a part of the negotiation. Trade negotiations are give and take." 

Today, on 19th September,2025, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, chaired a pivotal meeting on GST reforms for the Agriculture Sector. 

The discussions were on the implementation of the GST rate cut on machinery and equipment in agriculture that was recently reduced by half to 5% instead of 12-18% effective on 22 September, 2025. This historic reform would make farm machinery much more affordable, lower production expenses, and increase the income of farmers.

Benefits for Farmers and Agriculture Economy 

In his response to the media following the meeting, Minister Chouhan said the GST reforms are “extremely helpful and beneficial” to farmers in India. He stressed that such reforms would give the agricultural sector a new impetus, allowing farmers to achieve higher prices, and agribusiness would become more open and easier.

Shivraj Singh Chouhand said, "GST on bio-pesticides and micronutrients has been reduced, which will benefit farmers. Also, the trend of farmers towards bio-fertilizers from chemical fertilizers will definitely increase. GST exemptions in the dairy sector, including on milk and cheese, will help the common man as well as cattle breeders and milk producers."

He also said that the government’s commitment is absolute; these reforms are sure to drop the input costs, increase production and profitability, and bring prosperity to farmers and rural India. 

Key Outcomes of the Meeting

• Discount of tractors and tools: Retail price reductions are forecasted to be 5% and will save between Rs 23,000 and Rs 63,000 based on horsepower and type of tractor. 
• Subsidy and Tax Benefits: Farmers will receive two benefits of government subsidies and reduced GST, which will decrease the total costs of cultivation. 
• Target Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs): The reduction of rental fees due to cheaper farm machinery purchase will provide access to mechanization within small and marginal farmers at CHCs.
• Industry Involvement: The industry representatives of major industry associations such as Tractor and Mechanisation Association (TMA), Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Association (AMMA), All India Combine Harvester Manufacturers Association (AICMA), and Power Tiller Association of India (PTAI) attended and promised to spread these benefits.

The Vision of Agricultural Growth by Government

Under this reform, the government will enhance farm mechanization, efficiency, agricultural productivity, and localized manufacturing in the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Closely collaborating with stakeholders is also the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to make the implementation as smooth and transparent as possible.

On September 4, the Ministry of Education published the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 rankings, which show the best colleges and universities in 17 categories, including agriculture and allied sciences. Delhi Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) has topped the list 10th time consecutively in this critical category, closely trailed by the ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) in Karnal, Haryana. Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) retained the third position and remained one of the major actors in agricultural learning. 

NIRF 2025 Agriculture and Allied Sectors top 10 institutes 

• Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi
• ICAR - National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal, Haryana
• Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab
• Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
• Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh
• Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
• Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology, Kashmir
• Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Fisheries University, Mumbai
• G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand
• Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana

Agriculture Institutes NIRF Rankings 

Agriculture has stood as a pillar of the Indian economy, providing more than 15 per cent of the GDP and a large number of people with employment. The NIRF rankings measure teaching quality, research, practices, resources, and the excellence of the institutions, so they are credible resources when students are planning a career in the sphere of agriculture and other related fields.

IARI, New Delhi, enhanced its academic and research excellence image by securing the top spot again with a high rating, indicating strong faculty, advanced research initiatives and industry connectivity. The second one is the National Dairy Research Institute of Karnal, popularly referred to as ICAR, and it is ranked second due to its innovativeness in researching and extension services in dairy. With a slight increase in the ranking score, Punjab Agricultural University, which is in the top three due to its role in crop science and sustainable agricultural practices, is still in the top three.

Other Agriculture Institutions 

Other institutions that made it to the top ten list are Banaras Hindu University, the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) at Izatnagar, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) and Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology of Kashmir. These institutions have a good reputation in their specialised courses in veterinary science, horticulture, fisheries and food technology. 

More importantly, the rankings also show increased influence of the private universities like Amity University and Lovely Professional University in the top 20, indicative of a broader increase in quality of agricultural education than the traditional universities. 

Why These Rankings Matter

These rankings offer crucial information to a student wanting to pursue quality education and research in agriculture and other related sectors, in ensuring India meets its food security, rural employment, and sustainable development objectives.

This list can serve as a reference point to students who intend to pursue a career in agriculture, searching primarily at the institutions that provide high-tech education, high-quality infrastructure, and industry links that will improve employability and growth opportunities.

A latest innovation from  the Silicon valley of India is gaining traction for its AI robot named Chewie that eats kitchen waste and turns it into nutrient-rich fertilizer. Chewie is an intelligent, AI-powered robot that is made to address the increasing problem of wet waste in urban homes.  

How Chewie works

This innovative AI wet waste robot allows fast, hygienic processing of vegetable peels, leftover food and kitchen scraps, and converts the resulting material into a high-quality soil that can be applied to a home garden or a small farm. With its small, convenient size and user-friendly design, this robot will provide a more eco-friendly and efficient solution to cleaning up the kitchen, as well as making home composting simpler and less unpleasant.

Chewie is unique as it integrates artificial intelligence and environmental science. It tracks temperature, humidity, and the de-composition process in real-time, and optimizes conditions to support fast composting with no smell. The process of composting that takes weeks, needs space, and effort is automated, compact, and fast, with Chewie producing organic fertilizer that enriches the soil and promotes healthy growth in plants. The technology is particularly significant in such cities as Bengaluru where landfill overflow is an acute issue and organic waste is a major contributor to pollution.

Benefits for students 

To students of agriculture and environmental science, Chewie sets a good example of the way technology can address the real-life problems of sustainable agriculture and urban waste treatment. It shows the application of robotics and AI outside factory floors and laboratories to such daily issues as household waste reduction and urban agriculture. 

Learning the science behind how Chewie works would provide students with a profound sense of the biology of decomposition, sensor technology, and machine learning algorithms. In the case of engineering students, it also allows discovering the possibilities of intelligent systems and automation that can optimize natural processes, such as composting, which will likely motivate them to develop similar solutions to challenges in agricultural technology.

Environmental Impact and Future 

This robot, Chewie, can also be viewed as an important lesson in circular economy principles using waste as a resource to produce food. This feature is crucial when India moves towards sustainable agriculture in order to nourish an ever-increasing population without harming the environment. In promoting production of rich fertilizer at the home level, Chewie will decrease the amount of chemical fertilizers required to enrich the soil, and will decrease carbon emissions related to the transportation of waste to landfills, making cities greener.

The Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said that the AI wet waste management robot has the potential to scale up and create wider environmental benefits. The success of Chewie may trigger the adoption of more technology-based eco-solutions in Indian cities, fostering a sustainable urban environment and driving young developers to consider a career in the intersection of agriculture, environment, and technology.

In conclusion, Chewie, the kitchen waste Robot produced in Bengaluru, is not an ordinary robot for the kitchen but a remarkable tool of AI and robotics that is changing waste management and farming in India. It not only gives people the ability to make green decisions without much effort, it also provides fertile land to practice urban agriculture, and is a good example to inspire students who might be interested in learning more about agriculture technology and sustainability. 

With innovative technology like Chewie being introduced in the current era, the future of agriculture is more intelligent, clean and more intertwined with technology giving the much-needed cue to enthusiasts who wish to pursue a lucrative career in tech, agriculture or bioengineering.