The agroclimatic condition of Assam is suitable for growing pulses. Yet, the state grappling with a huge demand-supply gap in pulses is a paradox as persistent as the shortfall itself. The state’s own production is barely sufficient to meet 20% of its total requirement of pulses. The shortfall is not just about huge money outflow against procurement of the remaining 80% from outside the region; the nutritional gap resulting from the shortfall is much deeper. Pulses required for making daily protein intake in the form of dal are not affordable to a large number of low-income households due to high prices at the retail market driven by inflated transportation and handling costs. The state prioritising efforts to expand the area under pulses and boost productivity remains crucial for boosting its own production. The marginal increase in area and production reflects persistent gaps in interventions and highlights the need to move away from routine practices and celebrate incremental changes. The opportunities for the pulse-deficient state for transformative changes lie in leveraging the ‘Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses’ launched by the central government in October last year for boosting domestic production and the country achieving self-sufficiency in pulses over a six-year period, from 2025-26 to 2030-31. The stated objective of the mission is to enhance pulse production with a special focus on tur, urad, and masoor; promote the production and availability of climate-resilient seeds for farmers; increase the area under pulse cultivation; and promote post-harvest storage and management technology. Other interventions made by the central government for boosting pulse production include Cluster Frontline Demonstrations of pulses being implemented through Krishi Vigyan Kendras of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, distribution of mini kits of pulse seed varieties not older than 10 years free of cost to the farmers, and establishment of seed hubs to augment availability of quality seeds to farmers. The state undertaking a comprehensive review of the implementation of various central government schemes and its own schemes and programmes is critical for identifying the gaps and formulating timely intervention for course correction. As the state is dependent on procurement from major pulse-growing states, price volatility due to price fluctuation at sources adds to inflated transportation and handling costs. Even when the pulses procured by the central government under the Price Stabilisation Fund for the regulated release of buffer stock maintained are supplied to the states for moderating the market price for retail customers, the harsh reality remains for Assam and other northeastern states that they cannot escape the higher price level compared to other regions due to the expenditure involved in procurement from a source far away. The production target set by the central government under the pulses mission is 350 lakh tonnes from an area of 310 lakh hectares, which will require average productivity of 1130 kg/ha. The state to be able to achieve this national productivity target will require it to increase its own productivity by at least 400 kg/ha. Assam’s requirement for pulses in 2030-31 is projected to be around 5.5 lakh MT, while its current production is around 1.27 lakh MT. The figures speak volumes about the efforts which the state is required to put in over the next five years to break the demand-supply imbalance. The Development Agenda and Action Plan for Sustainable Development Goals, 2030, prepared by the Directorate of Agriculture, Assam, identified the problem of the non-availability of locally produced seeds as one of the major constraints in boosting production. Two key strategies spelt out in the Action Plan are area expansion under pulse crops in areas of rice fallow and the introduction of new high-yielding varieties of pulses. Effective implementation of these strategies requires assured irrigation and availability of certified seeds at affordable prices. As the state’s rice fallow area is estimated to be more than 10 lakh hectares, there is huge scope for area expansion and meeting the target set under the Action Plan for increasing the area under pulses to 3 lakh hectares by 2030-31. However, without assured irrigation remaining a far cry, productivity increase will continue to be incremental and nowhere near the target, and the expansion of area under pulses will remain confined to policy documents and strategy papers. Small landholding among the majority of farm households in the state poses another major hurdle in achieving the targets of area expansion across crops. Cooperative farming is the pragmatic option to reduce the risk of crop loss, increase marketing opportunities by facilitating traders to aggregate produce from a single geographic area and shift production from subsistence levels to commercial scale. Traditional farmers need to be informed and exposed to markets beyond their farm gate so that they get clear signals of assured and dynamic demand. Only then will they feel motivated to accept suggestions given to them by the agriculture department for increasing area expansion. Boosting pulse production is crucial for strengthening Assam’s agriculture and meeting nutritional goals.