Over the past 70 years, India has prioritised food security, marked by milestones such as the Green Revolution and the National Food Security Act, 2013, which significantly expanded access to staple grains for millions. As the country continues its development journey, there is a growing consensus that nutrition security, anchored in diverse and balanced diets, must take centrestage (Sridharan 2025). Concomitantly, household spending patterns are shifting. Processed foods and beverages now account for the largest share of household food expenditure (NSSO 2024). Against this backdrop, this report draws on the Indian National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) Household Consumer Expenditure Surveys (HCESs) (2011–12 and 2023–24) to examine whether Indian households are consuming an adequately nutritious and diverse range of foods at home.
Research demonstrates that dietary diversity, both within and across food groups, is crucial for enhancing micronutrient intake and improving long-term health outcomes (Bolo et al. 2024). However, a diverse plate does more than nourish people. Dietary diversity also contributes to planetary health by fostering more sustainable patterns of production (Campbell 2019). Amid intensifying climate impacts, the continued narrowing of cropping patterns is making India’s food system increasingly vulnerable. Greater dietary diversity can encourage production diversification and enhance resilience by enabling food systems to adapt to climate and economic shocks (Raveloaritiana and Wanger 2024; Hertel et al. 2021). Resilient systems, in turn, ensure a steady supply of nutritious food while conserving resources, which is a fundamental aspect of sustainability (FAO-INRAE 2020).
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This paper is authored by Suhani Gupta, Ankita Borah, and Eshita Kochhar, CEEW, New Delhi.
