E-Paper
India’s nutrition reality needs a new strategy
This article is authored by Pawan Agarwal, founder and CEO Food Future Foundation and former CEO, FSSAI.
India’s National Nutrition Strategy (2017), developed by NITI Aayog, was built on the momentum of the National Health Policy, POSHAN Abhiyaan and India’s commitments to the SDGs. Its mission was clear: reduce all forms of malnutrition—stunting, wasting, underweight, anaemia and low birth weight through a strong life-cycle approach.
Nearly a decade later, India is confronted with a new nutrition reality that the 2017 framework could not have fully anticipated. Our understanding of nutrition, food systems, behaviour and health has evolved rapidly. Undernutrition still persists, but new threats—overweight, obesity, unsafe food, diet quality gaps and climate-linked vulnerabilities are now far more visible. Much has changed, yet many of the old challenges remain.
As India approaches 2047, the milestone we aspire to celebrate as Viksit Bharat, we must ask whether a strategy crafted in 2017 is adequate for the realities of 2025. If we want a healthy and resilient population for the next generation, India needs to reflect on how its nutrition strategy must evolve to meet today’s evidence and tomorrow’s ambitions.
India today faces a far more complex nutrition landscape than what the current strategy was designed for. Demographic shifts, rapid urbanisation, climate pressures and sweeping changes in food environments have reshaped what it means to be “well-nourished.” Our systems have changed much faster than our strategic responses.
One of the most significant shifts is the emergence of the triple burden of malnutrition. High levels of stunting, wasting and anaemia coexist with rising overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases. This trend is no longer limited to cities; it is increasingly visible among rural and low-income households once considered vulnerable only to undernutrition.
The traditional assumption that undernutrition and obesity require separate policies no longer holds. They share biological pathways and socio-economic drivers. Addressing one without the other slows progress on both.
The past decade has also clarified the deep links between food safety and nutrition. Contamination, whether microbial or chemical affects gut health, micronutrient absorption and immunity. Aflatoxin exposure, for example, has been associated with impaired growth in children. India has strengthened testing and hygiene systems, but the scale of risk remains large.
Dietary habits have also shifted dramatically. Consumption of ultra-processed foods has grown; meal schedules are irregular; screen exposure during meals is rising; and physical activity is falling. Children today consume more calories but fewer nutrients. These behavioural shifts, now strongly linked with digestion, metabolism and circadian rhythms, remain weakly integrated into nutrition policy.
Diet quality has emerged as perhaps India’s most urgent nutrition challenge. Intake of vegetables, fruits, pulses, millets and nuts remains low, while consumption of salt, sugar and unhealthy fats remains high. Micronutrient deficiencies continue to affect millions. An updated nutrition strategy must place diet quality at the centre.
The climate crisis adds yet another layer. Erratic weather affects crop yields, nutrient content and food prices, influencing household diets and health risks. A modern nutrition strategy must integrate nutrition with climate resilience.
Even as the landscape has changed, several fundamentals remain stubborn. Progress on undernutrition is slower than required. Convergence across ministries remains difficult. Adolescents continue to sit at the margins. Most importantly, the National Nutrition Strategy itself has not been updated since 2017.
India now needs a strategy that reflects its present, not its past. A modern nutrition strategy must address all forms of malnutrition simultaneously; integrate food safety into nutrition policy; prioritise diet quality; strengthen behaviour change and food literacy; and align nutrition with sustainable food systems and climate realities. Adolescents, women, the urban poor and vulnerable communities must be placed at the centre.
India stands at a moment of opportunity. With better data, stronger institutions and renewed commitment to human development, the country can redefine its nutrition agenda for the next generation. A future-ready National Nutrition Strategy shaped by science and grounded in everyday realities will be essential for building a well-nourished India and realising the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
This article is authored by Pawan Agarwal, founder and CEO Food Future Foundation and former CEO, FSSAI.
