Agriculture in India has not grown much as information technology giants were not interested in the problems of this sector and to maintain its food self- sufficiency in the next decade India needs to unleash its agricultural sector, experts said.

"India's green revolution was based on improved crops, application of fertilizers and irrigation. Agriculture had not grown as much because the leaders of Information Technology were not interested in the problems of agriculture," said Robert Easter, Vice President and Chancellor, University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign, said while addressing a symposium on "Opportunities for Innovation in Indian Agriculture Sector" organised by the Consulate General of India Mukta Tomar in partnership with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

Agriculture was not viewed as a substantial market and was viewed as an area of risk, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Sam Pitroda, Advisor to the Prime Minister of India on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovation expressed need for a comprehensive strategy inclusive of good brains to tackle the grassroot problems of Indian society.

"The best brains are solving the problems of the rich who don't have any problems. We need to focus on growth and the top of the pyramid are more capable - they have lots of money, are smarter in many ways," Pitroda said.

Pitroda, who is in-charge of the National Innovation Council said that 2010-2020 will be called the Decade of Innovation "we are currently working on a bamboo cluster in Agartala that provides jobs to 300,000 people."

Pitroda said that he was behind opening of the first food bank in Delhi and second in Haryana.

Indian Agriculture Secretary P K Basu, while addressing the seminar, mentioned about the lack of access to capital, absence of infrastructure, difficulty in obtaining competitive priced inputs, market distortion due to international trade policies, and lack of technical understanding at the decision making level as the key roadblocks to the development of agriculture in the country.

He, however, said Introduction of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana in 2007-2008 was helping with innovation of agriculture and technology.

President of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs Marshall Bouton said that at present in India, rapid agricultural growth during the Green Revolution was not there, resulting in serious inflationary pressure due to falling productivity.

"If inflation persists it will erode public and political support for the economic reform process and we started to see some of that in the Anna Hazare movement," Bouton said.

He further said that if India is to maintain its food self-sufficiency in the next decade it needs to unleash its agricultural sector.