New Delhi: The Government has initiated several Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based projects in the agriculture sector to provide advanced support to farmers in areas such as crop advisory, pest management, crop identification, insurance services, delivery of government scheme benefits, and agricultural governance analytics.
The information was provided by Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
The Minister stated that under the Digital Agriculture Mission, the Government is supporting States in implementing projects based on modern digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Blockchain Technology, Internet of Things (IoT), Robotics, and other emerging technologies.
Highlighting key AI-driven initiatives, the Minister mentioned the following:
National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS)
The National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS) uses Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies to detect pest infestations in crops and enable timely intervention to reduce crop losses.
The system helps address challenges arising from climate change-related crop damage and allows farmers and extension workers to identify pests by capturing images of affected crops.
Currently, the platform is being used by more than 10,000 extension workers and supports 73 crops and 436 pests, helping farmers take preventive measures for healthier crop production.
AI-Based Monsoon and Weather Advisory System
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) provides AI-based monsoon and weather advisories to help farmers make informed agricultural decisions.
These location-specific weather forecasts enable farmers to plan activities such as sowing, irrigation, harvesting, and other farm operations more effectively.
The initiative has so far reached approximately 5.28 crore farmers across the country.
BharatVistaar: AI-Powered Digital Platform for Farmers
The Government has also developed BharatVistaar (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources), a multilingual Artificial Intelligence-powered Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Agriculture.
The platform provides farmers with real-time, location-specific AI-enabled agricultural advisories along with access to government schemes and agricultural support services.
So far, BharatVistaar has served over 3 lakh farmers and addressed more than 72 lakh farmer queries.
The platform provides information related to:
- 18 Central Government schemes
- Crop and livestock advisories
- Weather forecasts
- Mandi prices
- Pest and disease identification
- Soil health-based recommendations
- Grievance redressal services
BharatVistaar is accessible through a web portal, mobile application, AI chatbot, and dedicated telephone service. The telephone service is currently available in Hindi and English, while the chatbot, web portal, and mobile application support 10 languages.
Digital Agriculture Funding Details
The Government has informed that no specific comprehensive assessment has yet been undertaken to evaluate the overall impact of AI-based technologies in agriculture.
The funds allocated and utilised for digital agriculture initiatives, including AI-based agricultural projects, during the last five years are as follows:
| Year | Funds Allocated (₹ Crore) | Funds Utilised (₹ Crore) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | 60 | 20.84 |
| 2023–24 | 450 | 119.44 |
| 2024–25 | 763.88 | 356 |
| 2025–26 | 758.56 | 596.10 |
| 2026–27 | 502.40 | 364.62 |
The Government is also providing technical assistance and financial support for human resources to States and Union Territories for implementation of digital agriculture projects and capacity-building initiatives.
These measures aim to expand farmers’ access to AI-enabled technologies and digital services, particularly benefiting small and marginal farmers, and support the transformation of Indian agriculture through technology-driven solutions.