The Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) introduced in the 2025-26 Union Budget has the vision of transforming farms by enhancing their productivity and creating a sustainable agriculture environment. This plan is a consolidation of 36 schemes in 11 ministries into a single scheme generating an annual outlay of 24,000 crore to be pursued over a period of 6 years. There will be at least 1.7 crore farmers benefited in ways like improved irrigation, post-Harvest storage facilities and easy access to credit. It is a district-based programme which resembles the Aspirational Districts Programme, with national, state, and district planning committees. 100 of the worst performing districts will be targeted by the programme to transform the sector of agriculture.

Context & Background:

• Putting the Union Budget 2025-26 agri-initiative as a first-of-its-kind comprehensive agri-initiative on record.
• It was launched to substitute and harmonize 36 overlapping schemes in agriculture and allied fields.
• Following the example of the Aspirational District Programme, one is to be mindful of convergence, competition, and collaboration.

Key Objectives of PMDDKY:

Structural Features:

1. Converged Approach:

   • Merges 36 existing schemes across 11 ministries.

   • Works in partnership with States and private sector.

2. Targeted Districts:

   • 100 districts selected based on:

     • Low productivity

     • Low cropping intensity

     • Low credit disbursement

   • Each state will have minimum one district selected.

3. Implementation Mechanism:

   • District Dhan Dhaanya Samiti will prepare localized agriculture plans.

   • Inclusion of progressive farmers in planning.

   • Committees at District, State, and National levels for planning and monitoring.

4. Monitoring:

   • Monthly review mechanism to assess progress.

   • Linked to national goals: self-sufficiency, sustainability, diversification.

Budget & Duration:

Modelled on Aspirational District Programme:

Similarities

• Prioritise on low performance districts
• Data-driven monitoring
• Multi-sectoral convergence
• Localization of planning including stakeholders
• Monthly performance report & comparison

Expert Insights (from CEEW):

Strengths:

• Broad and blending strategy.
• Focus on diversity and sustainability.
• Agro-ecological and income conformity.

Criticism:

• Credit-based selection is flawed: Reliance on credit isn’t always linked to productivity.
• Suggested improvement: Use net agri-income per hectare instead as a better indicator.

Significance for India’s Agri-Economy:

Challenges Ahead:

• Division in various departments.
• Well developed district level planning capacity.
• Preventing local implementation capture of the elites.
• Instead of parallel schemes, making sure actual convergence.

Way Forward:

1. Apply solid agri-data and GIS in planning at district levels.
2. strengthen the Gram Panchayats and the farmer producer organisations (FPOs).
3. Target the small and marginal farmers and be equitable.
4. Intensify connections to e-NAM, PM-KUSUM and PMFBY, and other agri-schemes.
5. Use the monitoring and evaluation of institutions, academia, NGOs, and research institutes.

Conclusion:

The PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana is a landmark change in India agricultural policy since it has integrated the scattered schemes through a mission mode philosophy. Its approach of sustainability, inclusion and decentralization can potentially turn bad-performing agri-districts into self sufficient and resilience rural economies provided it is well done with local control, visibility and involvement of the farmers.
 

India has launched anti-dumping investigations on 8 product lines from 12 countries to safeguard domestic industries. DGFT has curbed disguised imports like gold alloys used to evade duties. Real-time monitoring of trade volumes and diversion tracking is being implemented. This move strengthens Make in India and shields MSMEs from unfair global competition.

• A massive campaign has been initiated by the Commerce Ministry to combat import surges and the dumping of cheap commodities that injure Indian industries.

• In June 2025, the DGTR launched anti-dumping investigations into 8 product lines of 12 countries or groupings.

• DGFT has started curbing imports that are likely to conceal high duty items such as gold as cheaper items.

• Targeted countries are China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Switzerland, Egypt and the Gulf countries.

• The government is exchanging real-time information among ministries in order to harmonize trade policy and industrial protection.

Key Agencies Involved

What is Dumping?

Dumping can be described as a situation where a producer based in a foreign country supplies his product in a recipient country below the normal price due to economic advantages. Sometimes below the cost.

 Impact: Hurts local industries with cheap imports so local producers get undercut and their jobs are lost, closing down.

What is an Import Surge?

• The sudden, unnatural growth of imports of a certain commodity within a short time.’

• Often due to:

  • Diversions of international trade

  • Dodging customs taxes

  • Laax's enforcement of rules in imports

Recent Actions by Govt.

Countries Facing Anti-Dumping Probes

• China, Taiwan

• Indonesia, Malaysia

• Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia

• Switzerland, European Union

• Egypt (glass wool)

• Indonesia (paperboards)

Products Under Probe

• Industrial chemicals

• Glass wool

• Paperboards

• Metal alloys containing gold

Expert Insight

• Exporters use dumping to snag up importing country market shares.

• This is a threat to MSMEs and to domestic manufacturers in India, particularly to the chemicals and paper industries.

• Intense surveillance + DGTR inquiries are likely to moderate the trade transparency against the national interest.

Policy Implications

• Improves the trade defense system already in existence in India as per WTO policies.

• Imports connection: – Defends home companies by the Make in India agenda and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

• Has the potential to increase bilateral trade frictions, as well as offering good competition.

Conclusion

The Indian government is taking a pro-active approach in enhancing its trade in order to spy it effectively by cracking down the dumping and unfair import activity with the help of the DGFT and DGTR. Such initiatives are a result of a new strategic approach to supporting and safeguarding domestic producers against the international price controls and creation of a more resilient, self-sufficient economy.