This study has been conducted to know the extent of investment made in promotion of marketing infrastructure in the country and find out whether private investment induces public investment or vice versa. The study indicates that on an average on each rupee invested by public sector, private sector invests Rs. 1.20. The analysis indicates that there is a very strong complementarity between private and public investment. The study suggests that in order to give further fillip to investment in agricultural marketing infrastructure, there is a strong need to create awareness about the scheme at grassroots level. Creating more opportunity through Public Private Partnership (PPP) models like allowing private parties to use public infrastructure, i.e., extension of machinery on charges and management/ utilization of Government infrastructure like market yards and warehouses by private sector under shared infrastructure approach would also attract more investment. Under large and medium agricultural marketing infrastructure projects like terminal markets, government should extend facilitative support, i.e., partial risk guarantee, first loss deficiency guarantee based model, etc. All these would help not only in attracting more investment in agricultural marketing infrastructure, but also make available a world class infrastructure at the door step of farmer's field.

India has maintained a leadership position in the production of various crops in the world. However, the country is lagging far behind in terms of agricultural marketing and procurement infrastructure. Marketing infrastructure is required to ensure free flow of the farm produce and its efficient marketing. Since the technologies on the production front has changed the supply scenario, adequate agricultural marketing infrastructure is needed to handle the huge quantity of farm produce and make the same available to all the consumers both inside and outside the country in an acceptable form. Sluggish agricultural marketing infrastructure development could derail India's growth rate and pose serious challenges to agricultural development.

It is said that, "If we are to sustain the present growth rate and accelerate it to higher levels, we have to not only invest heavily in agricultural marketing infrastructure projects through public-private partnerships but also ensure their timely execution". "The way out is to modernize and diversify the farm sector by improving the forward and backward linkages" (Jairath, 2008). Against this backdrop, it is important to put in place the appropriate measures for ensuring that India's biggest asset—its agriculture base— is leveraged to serve the global market effectively. This will establish the path towards enhancing agriculture investment. Accordingly, efforts have been made by the Government of India to enhance the investment in agriculture in general and in agricultural marketing in particular by launching various schemes. Knowing the paramount importance of infrastructure and their level of deficit, the Government of India launched a reform-linked scheme on "Development/Strengthening of Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure, Grading and Standardization—Upgradation of Laboratories" in 2004 to attract investment in agricultural marketing.

Keeping the above in view, this study has been undertaken to know the extent of investment made in promotion of different marketing infrastructures in the country, growth in private and public sector investments, state-wise spread of private and public sector investments in agricultural marketing infrastructures, and to know whether private sector investment induces public investment or vice versa.

Infrastructure Journal, Private Sector Investment, Public Sector Investment, Agricultural Marketing, Marketing Infrastructure, Agricultural Development, Global Markets, National Cooperative Development Corporation, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, NABARD, agricultural marketing infrastructure projects, National Commodity and Derviatives Exchange, NCDEX, National Collateral Management Services Limited, NCMSL.