AMUL director says increasing gap between urban and rural population a concern

India's major concern today is the widening gap between urban and rural population and between agriculture and industry which needs to be bridged, said managing director of Gujrat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Limited (AMUL), R S Sodhi on Monday. "The widening gap between urban and rural population, between those who work in factories and those who work in the field, between agriculture and industry, between cities and villages is today's major concern," he said.

Sodhi was addressing the third convocation of the Indian Institute of Management, Sambalpur (IIM-S). Stating that India had a GDP of about USD 20 billion and population of around 360 million in 1947, he said 75 per cent of them depended on agriculture. Agriculture accounted for about 70 per cent of the GDP.

In 2018, the respective figures were: GDP of USD 2.9 trillion, a population of 1.35 billion, with about 58 per cent of the population depending on agriculture for their livelihood, Sodhi said. However, the current reality of India is that this 58 per cent gets 1/7th of the income generated in the country. In other word, the population depending on agriculture has per capita income of USD 500 as opposed to a per capita income of USD 3000 of those not dependent on agriculture, he said.

As of today, 26 per cent of rural India is poor compared to 13 per cent of urban population who can be considered poor. Clearly, urban consumers are not paying a remunerative price for rural produces, Sodhi said, stressing the need to bridge the widening gap. He also urged the students to play a part in bridging the widening gap.

Sodhi also spoke about Dr Verghese Kurian, father of white revolution in India, and how Kurian worked tirelessly for the larger good of the country and humanity. He told the students that opportunities, big and small, come to everyone, and it is up to them to pick one and make the most of it.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman of IIM-S, Arundhati Bhattacharya told students to share a greater responsibility in fostering inclusive and sustainable development while achieving their own professional and career goals. The knowledge and skills, as well as professional and ethical values that IIM-S has imparted in students, would go a long way in making them not only successful business leaders but also responsible citizens, she said.

(With inputs from agencies.)