Lauding farmers for strengthening the country's agriculture sector, prime minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the farm sector is playing a major role in efforts to build a self-reliant India.

He also said if the essence of Mahatma Gandhi's economic philosophy was followed, there would not have been any need for the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' campaign as India would have become self-reliant much earlier.

Speaking on various issues during his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' broadcast, Modi said many farmers benefitted after fruits, vegetables were brought out of APMC Act in some states a few years ago.

Our agriculture sector has shown its prowess during the COVID-19 pandemic and farmers are playing a major role in efforts to build a self-reliant India, he said.

Talking about various success stories of farmer groups across states, Modi also said the agriculture sector will benefit immensely with greater use of technology in farming.

The prime minister began his monthly broadcast by talking about storytelling, saying it has been a part of our nation for centuries.

"Storytelling is as old as civilisation...These days, stories relating to science are gaining popularity," Modi said.

He said many people are making storytelling popular across the country and underlined that India has a glorious tradition of storytelling.

He also interacted with members of the Bangalore Storytelling Society.

Modi also requested all families to set aside some time for storytelling and said it will be a wonderful experience for them.