NEW DELHI, March 6 -- Stressing that agriculture and the rural economy remain the backbone of India's development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said technology adoption, crop diversification and a pivot toward export-oriented production will be key to sustaining growth in the farm sector and strengthening rural incomes.

Addressing the third webinar of the Budget Webinar Series on agriculture and the rural economy, Modi said digital platforms such as e-NAM and the government's digital agriculture infrastructure initiative AgriStack are transforming how farmers access markets and services. He also highlighted diversification programmes such as the National Mission on Edible Oils and Pulses and the National Mission on Natural Farm...