Agriculture: A Key Strength of India’s Economy

In the 2025–2026 fiscal year, India is set to become the world’s fourth-largest economy. With a Gross National Product estimated at $4.187 trillion by the International Monetary Fund, the Indian subcontinent will surpass Japan, positioning itself just behind the United States, China, and Germany, with the prospect of overtaking Germany by 2028 to claim third place.

At the heart of India’s economy remains agriculture, a sector that employs 40% of the country’s nearly 1.5 billion inhabitants. Boasting 200 million hectares of agricultural land - 140 million of which are cultivated - the Asian giant accounts for 7.5% of global agricultural output.

It is currently the world’s leading producer of pulses, milk, and spices, and the second-largest producer of wheat, cotton, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables, farmed fish, and tea. India’s agricultural leadership - as highlighted by data released this morning in New Delhi during the opening day of EIMA Agrimach India, the trade fair dedicated to agricultural machinery and technology organized by FICCI and FederUnacoma -  can only be maintained and enhanced through the adoption of innovative technologies.

In recent years, India has become the country with the highest annual tractor sales. As of August this year, registrations had reached 615,000 units, and forecasts suggest the total will exceed 900,000 by year’s end, mostly low- and mid-power models. This figure is four times higher than the number of tractors registered in the United States.

Beyond tractors, Indian agriculture today requires a wide range of operating machinery and equipment for every type of fieldwork, an area of excellence for Italian manufacturers, who have long been committed to developing partnerships within the Asian country.