E-Technology in the Aid of Farmers

E-Technology in the Aid of Farmers: Transforming Indian Agriculture

Introduction

India’s agriculture sector, which sustains over 58% of the population and contributes approximately 11.9% to global agricultural output, faces persistent challenges including low productivity, information asymmetry, limited market access, and resource constraints. E-technology—the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) with agriculture—has emerged as a transformative solution to address these challenges. By digitizing agricultural processes from farm production to marketing, e-technology enables farmers to access real-time information, optimize resource use, connect to markets directly, and enhance productivity in a sustainable manner. This technology-driven approach aligns with India’s vision of doubling farmers’ income and achieving sustainable agriculture.

Understanding E-Technology in Agriculture

E-agriculture refers to the application of innovative digital tools, devices, networks, services, and applications to enhance communication and information flow within the agricultural sector. The key technologies that constitute e-agriculture include Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, drones, blockchain, and cloud-based platforms. These technologies work synergistically to provide farmers with data-driven insights for better decision-making throughout the agricultural value chain.​

A. E-Technology in Agricultural Production

The production phase of agriculture has been revolutionized through several e-technology applications:

Precision Farming and Resource Optimization

Precision agriculture leverages GPS, sensors, and satellite-based tools to enable precise application of inputs. AI-driven drones equipped with multispectral cameras can identify nutrient deficiencies, pest infestations, and water stress by analyzing high-resolution crop imagery, allowing targeted interventions rather than blanket applications. This reduces chemical inputs, lowers costs, and minimizes environmental degradation. The global agricultural drone market, valued at USD 4.98 billion in 2023, is projected to reach USD 23.78 billion by 2032, demonstrating the accelerating adoption of drone technology in agriculture.​

Soil Health Management

The government’s Soil Health Card Scheme, initiated in 2014-15 and recently revamped with GIS technology integration, provides farmers with location-specific soil fertility data. The mobile application now automates geolocation tagging and links samples to test results via QR codes, enabling farmers to make precise decisions on nutrient management. This technological upgrade transforms soil testing from a generic advisory into a customized agricultural intervention.​

Real-Time Weather and Agronomic Advisories

Mobile platforms and applications like the IMD’s Meghdoot App disseminate localized agromet advisories on rainfall, temperature, and pest forecasts. These advisories help farmers make timely decisions on irrigation, sowing, and crop protection measures, thereby reducing crop losses and optimizing production.​

Access to Quality Inputs

Digital platforms like AgroStar enable farmers to order seeds, fertilizers, and other inputs through mobile applications, ensuring doorstep delivery and reducing dependence on local dealers who often charge premium rates. This disintermediation reduces transaction costs and improves input quality.​

Farmer Education and Capacity Building

Organizations like Digital Green use community-based video models to demonstrate scientific farming practices in local languages, enabling peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and reducing reliance on formal extension services. This approach has proven particularly effective in reaching small and marginal farmers with localized, culturally appropriate agricultural knowledge.​

B. E-Technology in Agricultural Marketing

E-technology has fundamentally transformed how farmers access markets and realize fair prices:

National Agriculture Market (e-NAM)

Launched as a pan-India electronic trading platform, e-NAM integrates over 1,389 mandis across 23 states and 4 UTs, with more than 1.77 crore farmers and 2.53 lakh traders registered as of February 2024. By enabling inter-state trade and real-time price discovery, e-NAM reduces the influence of local cartels and allows farmers to compare bids from multiple traders, thereby enhancing price realization. The platform also facilitates post-harvest management by providing market intelligence and reducing transaction costs.​

Direct Farmer-to-Consumer Linkages

Digital platforms establish trust-based networks between farmers and urban consumers, bypassing traditional wholesalers and retailers. This direct linkage increases farmer profitability while ensuring consumers access fresh produce, creating a win-win scenario that promotes sustainable agricultural practices.​

Transparent Payment Systems

Mobile payment integration through UPI and digital wallets ensures prompt settlement of transactions and reduces the scope for fraud, particularly benefiting small and marginal farmers who historically faced delayed payments and settlement issues.​

C. Government Initiatives Supporting E-Technology

The Indian government has launched several comprehensive initiatives to accelerate e-technology adoption in agriculture:

Digital Agriculture Mission (2021-2025)

Supported by an outlay of Rs 2,817 crore, this mission aims to develop public digital infrastructure integrating IoT, AI, blockchain, and remote sensing technologies into agricultural systems. The mission focuses on providing timely, targeted information and services to farmers while supporting agri-tech startups and innovation.​

AgriStack

This unified platform consolidates farmer data across crop, land, credit, and insurance parameters, creating a digital identity (Farmer ID) for each farmer. AgriStack enables personalized service delivery across the agricultural value chain and facilitates better credit and insurance accessibility.​

Unified Farmer Service Platform (UFSP)

Acting as a central coordinating agency, UFSP ensures interoperability between public and private agricultural IT systems, simplifying registration for service providers and accelerating service delivery to farmers.​

e-Choupal Initiative

ITC’s e-Choupal program has established approximately 6,500 internet-enabled kiosks in rural villages, benefiting over 4 million farmers. These kiosks provide real-time information on market prices, weather, and scientific farming practices, while also serving as collection points for farm produce and distribution centers for agricultural inputs. The program has demonstrated significant impact in reducing transaction costs and empowering farmers with market-driven decision-making capabilities.​

D. Challenges to E-Technology Adoption

Despite significant progress, substantial barriers impede widespread adoption of e-technology in Indian agriculture:

Digital Divide

Only 25% of Indian farmers are comfortable using digital tools, and merely 29% of rural areas have reliable internet connectivity. This digital infrastructure gap disproportionately affects small and marginal farmers, who constitute 86.1% of agricultural households in India. The lack of digital literacy compounds this challenge, with only 23.4% of rural adults possessing basic digital competency.​

Economic Constraints

The cost of acquiring smartphones, computers, IoT devices, and subscribing to digital services remains prohibitive for small and marginal farmers operating with minimal profit margins. High investment costs relative to uncertain returns deter adoption, particularly in resource-poor agricultural regions.​

Infrastructure Limitations

Poor rural connectivity, inconsistent power supply, and lack of technical support centers create operational challenges for e-technology platforms. These infrastructure deficits necessitate high-touch interventions and localized support systems.​

Cultural and Social Resistance

Farming traditions deeply rooted in cultural practices lead to skepticism about new technologies. Older farmers, in particular, demonstrate greater hesitancy toward digital adoption due to unfamiliarity and preference for established methods.​

Pathways for Bridging the Digital Divide

Addressing these challenges requires multi-pronged strategies:

Digital Literacy Programs

Targeted training modules in local languages, focusing on practical applications of smartphones and internet platforms, can empower farmers to actively participate in the digital agriculture ecosystem. Age-specific training approaches and farmer-to-farmer mentoring through farmer producer organizations (FPOs) have proven effective in rural contexts.​

Low-Tech and Offline Solutions

Complementing expensive technologies with affordable alternatives—such as soil testing kits and offline-capable mobile applications—can extend e-technology benefits to underserved populations. Village-level digital hubs and common service centers provide shared access infrastructure.​

Infrastructure Development

Investment in rural broadband connectivity, solar-powered digital terminals, and technical support networks remains essential for sustainable e-technology adoption. Public-private partnerships can accelerate infrastructure development while ensuring financial viability.​

Policy Support and Incentivization

Government subsidies for digital device adoption, coupled with tax incentives for agri-tech companies serving marginal farmers, can reduce the economic barriers to technology adoption.​

Impact and Future Prospects

E-technology initiatives have demonstrated measurable impact: small and marginal farmers utilizing e-NAM platforms report improved price realization, reduced post-harvest losses, and increased market formalization. Precision farming technologies have reduced input costs by 15-30% while improving yields by similar margins in pilot implementations.​

The Digital Agriculture Mission’s integration of emerging technologies like AI for pest prediction, blockchain for supply chain transparency, and satellite data for crop monitoring promises to further enhance agricultural efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, the expansion of Digital Green’s community-driven video model to reach millions more farmers signifies a scalable pathway for inclusive technology adoption.​

Government Schemes on E-Technology in Aid of Farmers

The Government of India has launched numerous schemes to integrate e-technology into the agricultural sector, directly benefiting farmers through digital solutions. Here is a comprehensive list of major schemes:

Major Central Sector Schemes

1. Digital Agriculture Mission (2024-2029)​

Budget: ₹2,817 crore (Central government share: ₹1,940 crore)​

Launch: September 2024

Objectives: Establish Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for agriculture using IoT, AI, blockchain, and remote sensing technologies to provide timely and targeted information to farmers.​

Key Components:​

• AgriStack (Kisan ki Pehchaan): Creation of digital identities for farmers with consolidated data on crops, land, credit, and insurance. Target of creating digital identities for 11 crore farmers over three years.​

• Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES): Precise yield estimates through crop-cutting experiments, expanding nationwide from 400 districts in FY 2024-25 to all districts in FY 2025-26.​

• Krishi Decision Support System: Unified platform integrating remote sensing data on crops, soil, and weather; aims to create soil profile maps for 142 million hectares of agricultural land.​

• Soil Profile Mapping: Large-scale mapping of soil characteristics for better nutrient management.

2. National Agriculture Market (e-NAM)​

Launch: April 2016

Budget: Completely funded by Central Government

Implementing Agency: Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC)

Coverage: Over 1,300 APMC mandis across states, with 1.77 crore farmers and 2.53 lakh traders registered.​

Objectives:​

• Integrate markets nationwide through a common online trading platform

• Provide real-time price discovery based on actual demand and supply

• Enable pan-India trade in agricultural commodities

• Establish quality assaying systems for informed bidding

Benefits:​

• Transparent online bidding eliminating middlemen

• Real-time market price information through mobile app

• Direct online payment to farmers’ bank accounts

• Access to wider markets beyond local mandis

• Reduced transaction costs

3. Soil Health Card Scheme​

Launch: February 2015

Current Status: Over 25 crore Soil Health Cards distributed as of July 2025​

Budget Released: ₹1,706.18 crore to States and UTs as of February 2025​

Key Features:​

• Periodic soil testing every 2-3 years

• Cards report 12 key soil parameters including macro and micronutrients, organic carbon, and soil pH

• Provides fertilizer recommendations customized by taluka/block level

• Geospatial mapping of soil health at 1:10,000 scale across 290 lakh hectares

• Integration with mobile apps and QR-code based automated tracking

Village-Level Labs: 665 village-level soil testing laboratories established across 17 states as of February 2025​

4. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)​

Launch: February 2019 (implementation from December 2018)

Nature: Central sector scheme with Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)

Financial Support: ₹6,000 per year per farmer in three equal installments of ₹2,000 each​

Coverage: Over 11 crore farmers have received ₹3.24 lakh crore through DBT​

Significance: Leverages digital technology for direct cash transfers, reducing intermediaries and ensuring transparent fund flow to farmers.

5. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)​

Launch: February 2016

Nature: Comprehensive crop insurance scheme

Coverage: All food and oilseed crops, annual commercial and horticultural crops with past yield data​

Objective: Provide affordable insurance cover against crop failure, stabilizing farmer incomes​

Covers:​

• Standing crop losses (sowing to harvesting)

• Prevented sowing or planting risks

• Post-harvest losses (within 14 days of harvest)

• Localized calamities (hailstorm, landslide, inundation, natural fire)

E-Technology Integration: Digital claim processing, satellite-based crop monitoring for yield estimation, and online enrollment through CSCs.

Technology-Enabled Service Platforms

6. Kisan Suvidha Mobile App​

Launch: March 2016

Active Users: Approximately 3 lakh users​

Available Languages: Hindi, English, Punjabi, Tamil, and Gujarati​

Features:​

• Real-time weather forecasts (5-day predictions and extreme weather alerts)

• Current market prices across mandis and all-India prices

• Dealers’ directory for seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides

• Plant protection advisory on pests, weeds, and diseases at each crop stage

• Agro-advisory from district agriculture officials and state universities

• Direct connection to Kisan Call Centre (KCC) for expert queries

Download: Available on Google Play Store and mkisan.gov.in

7. Kisan Call Centre (KCC)​

Coverage: All states and union territories

Support: Technical graduates provide expert agricultural advice and solutions

Accessibility: Phone calls and integration through Kisan Suvidha App

8. Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)​

Launch: February 2020

Budget: ₹6,865 crore till 2027-28​

Achievement: Successfully formed 10,000 FPOs by June 2023​

Financial Assistance:​

• Management cost support: ₹18 lakhs per FPO for 3 years

• Equity grant: Up to ₹2,000 per farmer member (maximum ₹15 lakh per FPO)

• Credit guarantee cover: Up to ₹2 crore per FPO

Key Features:​

• Digital integration with e-NAM, ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce), and APEDA platforms

• Support for value addition, processing, grading, and sorting infrastructure

• 40% women membership target in FPOs

• Approximately 30 lakh farmers connected to FPOs​

Implementing Agencies: Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC), NABARD, NAFED, NCDC, and 5 others​

Women Empowerment and Rural Development Schemes

9. NaMo Drone Didi Scheme (Namo Drone Didi Yojana)​

Launch: November 30, 2024

Objective: Empower rural women through agricultural drone technology

Target: Train 15,000 Drone Didis across the country​

Subsidy: Up to 80% subsidy on drone procurement​

Funding: Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) provides financing support​

Training: 15-day comprehensive program including 5-day mandatory drone pilot training and 10-day agriculture-specific training​

Benefits:​

• Sustainable livelihood and income generation for women-led SHGs (Self-Help Groups)

• Reduced labor costs and operational expenses for farmers

• Drone-based pesticide and fertilizer spraying reduces water usage and chemical wastage

• Women earn through drone service rental to farmers

Implementation: State Departments of Agriculture and DAY-NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission) at ground level​

Rural Connectivity Schemes

10. BharatNet (Phase 1, 2, and 3)​

Launch: Ongoing phased implementation

Current Coverage (Phase 1 & 2): 13,01,193 Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) connections activated; 2.18 lakh gram panchayats connected with high-speed optical fibre​

Phase 3 Investment: USD 18 billion (₹1.4 lakh crore)​

Phase 3 Targets:

• Connect additional 40,000 Gram Panchayats​

• Extend subsidized broadband to 1.5 crore rural households​

E-Technology Access: Wi-Fi-enabled FTTH connections enable farmers to access weather forecasts, modern cultivation practices, government schemes, and marketing trends.​

11. Prime Minister’s Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PMWANI)​

Coverage (as of August 2025): 3,53,105 Wi-Fi hotspots installed across rural areas​

Objective: Provide cost-effective internet availability for digital inclusion of rural businesses, educational institutions, and farmers

Umbrella Schemes for Sustainable Agriculture

12. PM Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY)​

Type: Cafeteria-based umbrella scheme

Total Expenditure: ₹1,01,321.61 crore

Components:​

• Soil Health Management

• Rainfed Area Development

• Agro Forestry

• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (organic farming)

• Agricultural Mechanization including Crop Residue Management

• Per Drop More Crop (precision irrigation)

• Crop Diversification Programme

• RKVY DPR component

• Accelerator Fund for Agri Startups

Technology Integration: All components leverage technology for efficient implementation​

13. Krishonnati Yojana (KY)​

Launch: 2005, consolidated in recent cabinet decisions

Focus: Food security and agricultural self-sufficiency

Comprises: 11 schemes and missions under single umbrella including:​

• Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)

• National Food Security Mission (NFSM)

• National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm

• National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A)

e-Technology Component: National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A) aims to bring farmer-centricity by improving access to information and services throughout the crop cycle​

AI and Research Initiatives

14. Artificial Intelligence Centres of Excellence (CoEs)​

Launch: Recently announced

Financial Outlay: ₹990 crore from FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28​

Focus: Three CoEs specifically for healthcare, agriculture, and sustainable cities​

Agricultural Objective: Empower farmers with AI-driven solutions including drone analytics, automated irrigation systems, and AI-driven crop disease detection​

Knowledge Dissemination Platforms

15. Agriwise and Other Information Platforms​

Function: Tech-based advisory systems connecting farmers with agronomic experts

Services: Input procurement, market linkages, crop advisory, and real-time problem solving

Impact: Improved yield quality and economic security for rural communities

Summary Table of Key Schemes

Implementation Mechanism

Most schemes leverage common service centers (CSCs), mobile apps, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), and digital platforms for implementation, ensuring last-mile connectivity to farmers. The convergence of multiple schemes under umbrella programs like PM-RKVY and Krishonnati Yojana ensures better coordination and reduced duplication.

These schemes collectively aim to achieve the government’s vision of digital transformation of agriculture, doubling farmers’ income, ensuring food security, and promoting sustainable farming practices across India.

AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PROCESSING

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

Source: Ministry Major Schemes