The human development indicators of most Indian states are low. The development of its manufacturing sector is slow (though there has been higher economic growth during the last 3-4 decades) and this has slowed the transition of a land-dependent population towards industries and urban areas. All these work against the efforts towards the restoration of land in rural areas.

It is obvious that different socio-economic and institutional factors impact land restoration in a country. These may include laws and their enforcement, economic incentives of people which in turn are determined by national and international markets and government policies; actions of organisations that are involved in restoration, etc.