Digital farming in India: How farmer IDs and AI-powered tools are boosting agricultural efficiency

New Delhi: India has built a massive digital backbone for agriculture under the Digital Agriculture Mission, with more than 7.63 crore Farmer IDs created and 23.5 crore crop plots surveyed, the government said on Saturday.

The initiative forms part of the Centre’s push to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI), data analytics and digital platforms into farming, crop insurance and pest management systems.

National Pest Surveillance System covers 66 crops

According to the official statement, the National Pest Surveillance System currently supports 66 crops and tracks more than 432 pest types. The system provides real-time advisories to over 10,000 agricultural extension workers to enable early pest detection and reduce crop losses.

Kisan e-Mitra chatbot handles 8,000 queries daily

As of December 2025, the government’s Kisan e-Mitra AI chatbot has responded to more than 93 lakh farmer queries. The platform handles over 8,000 questions daily in 11 regional languages, helping farmers access information on schemes, weather and crop-related guidance.

AI-based monsoon forecasting reaches 3.88 crore farmers

An AI-based pilot for local monsoon onset forecasting during Kharif 2025 reached 3.88 crore farmers across 13 states via SMS alerts. Surveys indicated that 31 to 52 per cent of farmers adjusted sowing schedules and land preparation decisions based on these AI-driven forecasts.

AI tools strengthen PMFBY crop insurance

AI-powered platforms such as YES-TECH, CROPIC and the PMFBY WhatsApp Chatbot are being used to make crop insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) faster, more transparent and efficient.

PMFBY provides affordable crop insurance against losses caused by natural calamities and unforeseen events. Farmers pay fixed premium rates of 2 per cent for Kharif food and oilseed crops, 1.5 per cent for Rabi food and oilseed crops, and 5 per cent for commercial and horticultural crops, with the remaining premium subsidised by the government.

Bharat-VISTAAR proposed in Budget 2026–27

The Union Budget 2026–27 has proposed Bharat-VISTAAR, a multilingual AI tool designed to integrate AgriStack portals with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) packages and AI systems to improve advisory services.

The India-AI Impact Summit 2026 also highlighted India’s approach to Artificial Intelligence as a tool for inclusive development, particularly in agriculture and rural livelihoods.

AgriStack: Digital identity for farmers

AgriStack is a core component of the Digital Agriculture Mission. It provides farmers with a unique digital identity linked to land records, crops cultivated, livestock ownership and benefits received. The system enables secure identification and targeted delivery of agricultural services.

To accelerate Farmer ID creation and verification, Rs 10 per ID has been earmarked from PM-KISAN administrative funds. AgriStack also supports a mobile-based Digital Crop Survey that captures real-time, plot-level data on crop type and cultivated area.

The government said the expanding digital infrastructure is aimed at improving farm productivity, reducing risks and enhancing transparency in agricultural support systems across India.

IANS