1.1 Statistics
 ·Total Population - 1.3 billion 
 ·Rural Population - 742 million (70 %) 
 ·Total Geographical Area – 329 m. ha 
 ·Net cropped area- 142.8 m. ha (Cultivable - 47 %, Non-Ag uses - 7 %, Forest - 23%, Barren and/or uncultivable, waste land, permanent pasture and fallow land - 23 %) 
 ·Gross cropped area – 190.0 m. ha 
 ·Net area under irrigation- 57.0 m. ha (37 %) 
 ·Rain-fed area - 55 % of the cultivable land 
 ·Cropping intensity- 134 % 
 ·Production of food grains- 212 m.t

1.2 Indian Agriculture Strength
 ·47% of total land in the country is cultivable, against a world average of 11%. 
 ·All 15 major climates of the world are present in India, from the snow of the Himalayas to the hot, humid southern peninsula. 
 ·There are 20 agro-climatic regions. 
 ·46 soil types out of 60 in the world can be found in India. 
 ·Sunshine hours and day length suited for year-round cultivation. 
 ·Agriculture contributes 24.2% to GDP, 15.2 % of total exports and provides employment to 58.4% of country’s workforce. 
 ·16 % of the world’s population lives here. 
 ·A mega-centre for biodiversity in plants, animals, insects, and microorganisms; accounts for 17% of animal, 12% of plant and 10% of fish genetic resources of the globe 
 ·It ranks first in production of pulses, tea, jute and allied fibres. 
 ·India is second largest producer of wheat, rice, groundnut, fruits and vegetables, sugarcane and is third largest producer of mustard, potatoes, cotton lint, etc. 
 ·There is a wide array of aromatic and medicinal plants (> 10,000 species)

1.3 Indian Experiences of Agricultural Mechanization
 ·Tractors, combines and other heavy machinery will NOT displace labour. 
The highly mechanized state of Punjab employed and attracted laborers from neighbor states. Mechanisation demands even more labor rather than displacing them.
 ·Heavy machines are suitable for small- and medium-scale farmers.
    Custom hiring of high capacity equipment is becoming very popular and the demand is increasing daily. The chief beneficiaries of such machines are small- and medium-scale farmers.
 ·Small farmers will adopt high-tech technologies for production and processing of their agricultural produce.
 ·The increasing population of high-tech suggests a tremendous scope for increasing agricultural mechanization.

1.4 Recent Trends and Challenges in Agricultural Mechanisation
1.4.1 Demand of tractors and power tillers is increasing.
 · Presently there are 30.00 lakhs, which effectively control 41.4 million ha  (28.95% of cultivated area).
 ·Presently there are117,200 power tillers, which can effectively control about 5.61 lakhs/ha.
 ·The current need is for about 2.75 million additional tractors: 1.25 million for additional power and about 1.5 million for replacement.  The average annual demand will be about 3.43 lakh tractors over the next 8 years.
 ·For intensive cropping, farm power availability needs to be increased from 1.35 kW/ha to 2 kW/ha by 2010, mainly due to increased use of tractors and power tillers.
 ·By 2010, the tractor population needs to be increased from 2.76 to 4.13 million tractors.
 ·Annual use of tractors is currently between 600-700 h/year.
 ·Demand for tractors with a range of 35 hp and 45 hp is increasing.

1.4.2 Draught animal population is decreasing.  
 ·Present population is about 60 million, which can effectively control about 60-75 million ha.
 ·On average a tractor replaces five pairs of draught animals.

1.4.3 Lack adequate farm power to complete tillage operations in time.

Area:
total: 3,287,590 sq km
land: 2,973,190 sq km
water: 314,400 sq km

Climate:
varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north

Terrain:
upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 m

Natural resources:
coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 48.83%
permanent crops: 2.8%
other: 48.37% (2005)

Irrigated land:
558,080 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes

Current environmental issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing population is overstraining natural resources