The proposed book provides an assessment of an important yet controversial policy initiated by the Indian government and governments of several other developing countries. Marketing reforms, it is claimed, can be a crucial answer to solving the problem of rural poverty in agrarian economies where large sections of populace are engaged in low paying agriculture. On a wider front, these reforms could help in providing growth impetus to an economy and even the global economy at large. Yet, the subject of liberalizing agricultural markets is also part of a broad and perhaps a bitter political debate between national and sub-national policy makers and academic discourses in India and other countries. A clearer understanding and a possible resolution of the issues involved will be decidedly useful. The experience of India, one of the largest and most agriculture-dominated economies, will undoubtedly provide valuable lessons not only for steering the domestic economic policy but also for other countries to set their own policy agenda. The book attempts to capture the evolving reality in a large and diverse country and presents an objective evaluation to enable aspiring investors and those in policy making, food business and civil society to make more informed assessment and decision.

Nilabja Ghosh currently works at the Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi in the Agricultural Economics Research Unit. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the Indian Statistical Institute. Her research interests broadly cover agriculture, rural development and the environment, as well as forecasting agricultural performance by means of econometric modeling. In addition to her research activities, she regularly provides input to the Government of India to facilitate informed policymaking and to improve its statistical database.

Chapter 1 : Introduction.- Chapter 2: Evolution and re-constitution of Markets.- Chapter 3: International perspectives and Lessons for India.- Chapter 4: Objectives, Data and Methodology.- Chapter 5: Indias Agricultural Markets: Regulation and revitalization.- Chapter 6: Contemporary reforms and the Transitions in Sample states.- Chapter 7 : Socio-economic conditions and Agriculture in Sample States.- Chapter 8: Selling to Corporate Marketing Intermediaries.- Chapter 9: Selling to Processors on Contract.- Chapter 10: Selling to Organized Retailers.- Chapter 11: Direct Marketing by Farmers.- Chapter 12: Contracts with Local traders in West Bengal.- Chapter 13: Local Marketing support in Bihar.- Chapter 14: Impact and Policy implications of the Transitions.- Chapter 15: Reconsidering Agricultural marketing in India.- Appendices.