To take India forward, must take villages forward: Modi

New Delhi, May 26 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday said that to take India forward, the villages will first have to be taken forward.

"The farming community is a big one. And, if we have to take India forward, we will have to take the villages forward," Modi said at the launch of the DD Kisan Channel, a 24-hour farmer-centric channel.

The prime minister said agriculture should be the focus to take the villages forward.

"We will have to increase our productivity. At present, the average paddy production in India is 2 tonnes per hectare whereas, the global average is 3 tonnes per hectare… We will have to think how we can reach the global average," he said.

"(Late prime minister) Lal Bahadur Shastri ji gave a mantra ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’, and the farmer of the nation got inspired by that mantra," he added.