More than 8.48 crore farmer IDs have been generated under the government’s digital agriculture initiatives, as technology-led platforms increasingly shape the delivery of farm services, subsidies and advisories across the country, the government said on Tuesday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ramnath Thakur detailed the outcomes of multiple digital agriculture programmes implemented or expanded during 2025, highlighting the role of digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence and geospatial technologies in improving service delivery, planning and transparency.
At the centre of the government’s digital push is AgriStack, a digital public infrastructure comprising three core registries — the Farmers Registry, Geo-Referenced Village Maps and the Crop Sown Registry — created and maintained by state governments and union territories.
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AgriStack establishes a single source of verified information on farmer identity, landholdings and crops, enabling seamless integration of direct benefit transfer schemes, crop insurance, minimum support price-based procurement, access to institutional credit, input distribution and disaster relief.
As of February 4, 2026, more than 8.48 crore farmer IDs had been generated nationwide, providing a digital foundation for the delivery of multiple agriculture-related services, the minister said.
Another major digital intervention, the Digital Crop Survey, has enabled plot-level visibility of crops and improved estimation of sowing patterns across seasons, supporting evidence-based planning for procurement, input supply and logistics.
During the Kharif 2025 season, the digital crop survey was conducted across 604 districts, covering more than 28.5 crore agricultural plots, the government said.
Several states have leveraged these digital platforms for large-scale scheme delivery. Maharashtra used AgriStack for disaster relief, artificial intelligence-based advisories and credit access, including the transfer of more than ₹14,000 crore to 89 lakh farmers for crop losses during Kharif 2025.
Chhattisgarh institutionalised the use of farmer ID and the digital crop survey for minimum support price-based paddy procurement, covering over 32 lakh farmers in a single season, significantly improving transparency, crop verification and the timeliness of payments, the minister said.
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The Krishi Decision Support System is another core component of the government’s digital agriculture framework. The geo-spatial platform integrates satellite imagery, weather data, soil information and crop details using geographic information systems to support agricultural planning and decision-making.
The system functions as a web-based analytical platform for developing targeted advisories on crops, weather and soil conditions, allowing authorities to tailor recommendations based on real-time and location-specific data.
Artificial intelligence-driven services have also been introduced to improve farmer access to information and advisory support. Kisan e-Mitra, a voice-based AI chatbot, assists farmers by responding to queries related to the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme in 11 regional languages.
At present, the chatbot handles more than 8,000 farmer queries daily, and over 95 lakh queries have been answered so far, the government said.
Similarly, the National Pest Surveillance System uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect pest infestations and enable early intervention. The system is currently used by over 10,000 extension workers and supports 65 crops and more than 400 pests.
Through the platform, farmers can upload images of pests to receive guidance, helping mitigate pest attacks and reduce crop losses.
Digital platforms expand seed and supply chain tracking
The government has also launched the Namo Drone Didi scheme, a central sector programme aimed at deploying drone technology in agriculture while generating income opportunities for women’s self-help groups.
Under the scheme, 15,000 drones are to be distributed to women self-help groups with a total outlay of ₹1,261 crore for the period from 2023-24 to 2025-26.
Lead fertiliser companies have so far distributed 500 drones, while a study conducted by the Agricultural Development and Rural Transformation Centre, Bengaluru, assessed the economic and business viability of drone operations.
The study indicated that the adoption of drones has diversified self-help group activities, improved agricultural practices and increased income opportunities for women in rural areas.
In addition, the government has rolled out the Seed Authenticity Traceability and Holistic Inventory platform, known as SATHI, to digitise the management of seed production, quality certification, distribution and traceability across the country.
The platform establishes a National Seed Grid that integrates all seed stakeholders into a unified digital system, aimed at improving transparency and accountability in the seed supply chain.
The government said these digital initiatives are being continuously evaluated to measure their impact on service delivery, planning efficiency and transparency in agriculture.
The minister said the integration of digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, satellite data and mobile-based platforms is intended to build a robust digital ecosystem for agriculture and improve access to services for farmers across the country.
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