Framework

Poverty is a universal problem, yet its high occurrence and incidence in rural areas makes it predominantly rural phenomenon. It is one of the most important dimensions in the development agenda of India, whose nearly seventy percent of population is dependent upon agriculture for livelihood. Pertaining to this, Rural Development has become the focus of development in countries around the world. India lives in villages, the development of the nation cannot be achieved without the development of villages. The sustainability of rural development initiatives depends greatly on the agribusiness and concerned stakeholders which include not only governmental agencies but also NGOs, and private organizations which have realized the rural market as an untapped segment for profit generation. India continues to be agrarian economy, which contributes less than one fourth of the GDP but employs more than seventy percent of the rural work force. In the post independence era India has achieved commendable success on many fronts. This National Conference on Agribusiness and Rural Development: Issues and Challenges is being organized by the Faculty of Management Studies, Banaras Hindu University so as to an opportunity to all concerned including students, teachers, researchers, policymakers, governmental and non-governmental organizations to introspect, deliberate and devise the strategies for rural development.