SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure | SDG 2: Zero Hunger | SDG 1: No Poverty
Institutions: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology | Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare
This new national guide, developed by the World Economic Forum, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, provides a clear plan for using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to overhaul Indian agriculture. This strategy is critical because even though farming employs nearly half the country, it struggles with low yields, huge risks from climate change, and tiny landholdings; the average Indian farmer owns just about two and a half acres (1.08 hectares).
Initial tests have already proven AI can deliver big results for small farmers. For instance, the Saagu Baagu pilot in Telangana showed that farmers using AI tools for chili crops saw their yields jump by 21% and their use of expensive chemical inputs (fertilizers and pesticides) drop by 9%. This resulted in a significant income boost, averaging $800 more per acre.
The core of this national strategy is the IMPACT AI Framework, a multi-partner roadmap built on three working pillars:
Enable (Government’s Role): The government must first build the foundation. This means creating a national AI plan, setting up policies (like using e-RUPI digital vouchers for services), and establishing crucial data-sharing systems like the Agri Stack and state-level exchanges such as Telangana’s ADeX.
Create (Industry’s Role): Private companies and start-ups must develop and refine the technology. This involves co-innovating with agricultural experts (like the 97+ ICAR research institutes) and rigorously testing their AI software in specialized AI Sandboxes before releasing them widely.
Deliver (Field Workers’ Role): This ensures the tools actually reach every farm. It involves equipping the 200,000 agricultural extension officers with AI skills, creating an easy-to-use AI Marketplace (integrated with networks like ONDC), and setting up constant feedback loops to make sure the AI advice works well on the ground.
The plan targets four high-impact applications: AI-driven crop planning to stabilize market prices; instant soil-health analysis to stop the overuse of fertilizer; AI to predict and prevent pest outbreaks (which cause an estimated $36 billion in annual losses); and smart marketplaces that use digital tools to ensure fair grading and transparent prices.
This framework is not just a technology plan; it’s a blueprint for national governance, providing a mandate for all levels of government to invest in digital foundations, policies, and partnerships. Achieving successful, widespread adoption is critical to ensuring India’s food security and making farming resilient and profitable for its vast population of small farmers.
What is an AI Sandbox?→ An AI sandbox is a secure, monitored testing ground, often run by the government or universities, where new AI tools are put through rigorous checks for fairness, technical performance, and real-world farming relevance before they are certified and allowed to be used by the public.
Follow the full report here: Future Farming in India: A Playbook for Scaling Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture