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Cereal based cropping system, an integral part of agricultural food system of India and its nourishment depends on site-specific Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) Practices followed. The smartness or resilience closely linked with four important aspects viz., less yield variability to climate aberrations, higher soil carbon buildup, higher yield and sustainability. Rice–rice, rice–wheat, pearlmillet–wheat, sorghum–wheat, rice–maize, maize–wheat and rice–mustard are the common/predominant cereal based cropping system in South Asia. The long-term permanent plot experimental data of 28 sites representing different agro-ecological zones of India with 25–30 years were investigated. The National yield data during the period 1980–2015 showed an increasing trend for all the crops with different rate, even though there is lot of year-to-year fluctuations. The system yield showed increasing trend with highest rate of 81.3 kg/ha/year in maize–wheat to lowest rate of 48.5 kg/ha/year in sorghum–wheat system at the National level. The Composite Resilient Index (CRI) Matrix based Site Specific Management Practices provide a "mid-way" path/balancing of management practices, which is smart/resilient with respect to sustainability, higher yield, less climate variability and good for soil carbon. Results provide an opportunity to researchers, policy makers, planners and developmental agencies to choose INM options according to resource availability, with a focus towards addressing the food security of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]