At the time of independence, the agricultural sector suffered from low productivity and a lack of equity. The land tenure system was characterised by intermediaries (variously called zamindars, jagirdars) who collected rent from actual tillers without contributing to farm improvements. This forced India to import food from the U.S.A. To address these issues, policy makers introduced land reforms.

The first major type of reform was the abolition of intermediaries. Initiated just a year after independence, this aimed to make the tillers the owners of land. It was believed that ownership would provide incentives to invest in improvements. This freed about 200 lakh tenants from exploitation by bringing them into direct contact with the government.

Another key reform was land ceiling, which involved fixing the maximum size of land an individual could own. The purpose was to reduce the concentration of land ownership in a few hands and promote equity in the sector.

However, implementation faced hurdles. Big landlords challenged legislation in courts and used loopholes to register land in relatives' names. While successful in Kerala and West Bengal due to the commitment to land to the tiller, the goal of equity was not fully served elsewhere, and inequality in landholding continues.