New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS): As India enters 75 years of its Independence, the focus has once again come back on a sector that has vast potential to turn the growth engines of the country.

According to Manish Bandlish, Managing Director, Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Pvt Ltd, rich agronomic conditions and a variety of horticulture crops hold immense potential to add value to the lives of both farmers and consumers.

"We have huge ability in the horticulture sector in terms of productivity, and we need further concerted efforts to explore the same and be self-reliant in this sector," said Bandlish, who believes that another Green Revolution in the form of added push to the horticulture sector has the potential to make the country a global leader in this segment.

"Our country has a rich lineage of diversity. A testament to that fact is the horticulture sector wherein varied crops are grown in our country," said Bandlish.

Hence, it is pertinent to focus on agriculture-friendly practices, better technology, appropriate infrastructure, and extension of marketing practices in order to reap the right benefits of the land, he added.

Bandlish is a firm believer that enhancing the horticultural productivity in the country will also help us boost exports, create new avenues for employment, and provide better food security to the countrymen, thereby giving a fillip to the economic activities of the country.

"The need of the hour is to develop a sustainable eco-system that benefits all the stakeholders and, in a way, takes everyone forward," he said.