The Indian government is preparing for a significant financial push to integrate artificial intelligence and digital technologies into the country's vast agricultural sector. According to officials familiar with the deliberations, the upcoming Union Budget is likely to allocate ₹7,500 crore for the Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM) for the period spanning FY27 to FY30.
A 166% Boost for Tech-Driven Farming
This proposed outlay represents a massive 166% increase over the mission's initial allocation of ₹2,817 crore for the FY22-FY26 period. The move underscores a strategic shift towards leveraging real-time data, AI, and digital public infrastructure to tackle long-standing challenges in Indian agriculture. The sector, along with its allied segments, contributes around 18% to India's GDP and sustains the livelihoods of nearly 46% of the nation's workforce.
The enhanced funding is aimed at moving beyond fragmented, advisory-only digital initiatives of the past. Earlier programs, such as the National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A) launched in 2010, primarily delivered static information via SMS. The renewed mission seeks to create an integrated, AI-driven decision-support ecosystem.
Building a Unified Digital Agri-Stack
Nodal to the Department of Agriculture, the DAM envisions creating a comprehensive digital public infrastructure (DPI). Key components include:
- AgriStack: A foundational digital framework for agriculture.
- Krishi Decision Support System (KDSS): An AI-powered platform for real-time insights.
- National Soil Fertility and Profile Map: A detailed database to guide precision farming.
The budget may also announce financial support for states to onboard farmers onto the VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources) platform. This unified portal will provide farmers with reliable, real-time information on crops, markets, and government schemes. A key feature will be personalized AI-driven advice delivered via chat in local languages, powered by the Bhashini translation platform to break language barriers.
Addressing Core Challenges with AI
The push for AI assumes critical importance in light of staggering annual losses. A report by CropLife India and YES Bank estimates that pests alone cause harvest losses worth about ₹2 trillion every year in India.
Experts believe AI can bridge major productivity and information gaps. "The real opportunity lies in translating complex data... into simple, actionable guidance delivered in real time," said Sushma Vasudevan of Boston Consulting Group. She emphasized the need for strong data infrastructure and public-private collaboration for inclusive and scalable solutions.
Rajesh Shirole, co-founder of MapMyCrop, highlighted the tangible benefits: "By combining satellite imagery, weather intelligence and AI-driven crop models... This enables timely and precise interventions, resulting in 15-20% higher yields and up to 30% lower input costs."
Binod Anand, a member of the government's panel on minimum support prices, noted that the mission is expected to strengthen food security by improving crop forecasting and enabling early warning systems.
The government's increased focus on agriculture is reflected in its budgetary allocations, which rose from ₹1.18 trillion in FY24 to ₹1.41 trillion (revised estimate) in FY25. The final decision on the DAM's enhanced outlay will be taken closer to the Budget presentation on 1 February.
