- Agriculture is the major sector of the Indian economy as a source of income, employment and export earnings. Agriculture is the only means of living for almost two-thirds of the employed class in India. - Agricultural cultivators of India have declined from 62.5 percent in 1971 to 45.11 percent in 2011 whereas the agricultural labour has increased from 37.8 percent to 54.89 percent during the same period. The proportion of the working-age population in India has increased from 58 percent in 2001 to more than 64 percent by 2011 .