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OUTCOME OF DIGITAL AGRICULTURE INITIATIVES

February 10, 2026 5 min read Economics Science & Technology Polity & Governance GS3 (Economics — Agriculture Science & Technology) GS2 (Polity & Governance — Government Schemes)
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What Happened

  • The government evaluated outcomes of digital agriculture initiatives undertaken during 2025, reporting significant progress across multiple programs.
  • AgriStack, India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for agriculture, has generated over 8.48 crore Farmer IDs and conducted Digital Crop Survey across 604 districts covering more than 28.5 crore plots during Kharif 2025.
  • Kisan e-Mitra, an AI-powered voice-based chatbot supporting 11 languages, handles over 8,000 farmer queries daily on PM Kisan and related schemes.
  • The National Pest Surveillance System uses AI and machine learning for pest detection across 65 crops and 400+ pests, supporting over 10,000 extension workers.
  • The Namo Drone Didi scheme, with an allocation of Rs. 1,261 crore, is distributing 15,000 drones to Women Self Help Groups for agricultural drone services.

Static Topic Bridges

AgriStack — Digital Public Infrastructure for Agriculture

AgriStack is India's agricultural Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), modeled on the India Stack concept (Aadhaar-based identity, UPI for payments, DigiLocker for documents). It creates three foundational registries — Farmers Registry, Geo-Referenced Village Maps, and Crop Sown Registry — all maintained by state governments and union territories. The Farmer ID is a unique digital identifier that links farmers to their land records, financial details, and government schemes.

  • Farmers Registry: Unique Farmer IDs linked to Aadhaar, land records, and bank accounts. Target: 11 crore (110 million) Farmer IDs by 2026-27. As of February 2026, over 8.48 crore Farmer IDs generated.
  • Geo-Referenced Village Maps: Digitized cadastral maps enabling plot-level identification for targeted scheme delivery.
  • Crop Sown Registry: Created through Digital Crop Survey — ground-level documentation of which crop is sown on which plot in each season. Kharif 2025 survey covered 604 districts and 28.5 crore plots.
  • Farmer ID enables seamless integration of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes including PM-KISAN (Rs. 6,000/year to eligible farmer families), PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), and other agricultural subsidies.
  • Digital Agriculture Mission budget: Rs. 1,076 crore released to six states (UP, MP, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh) as of March 2025.

Connection to this news: The outcomes report demonstrates that AgriStack has moved from concept to large-scale implementation, with 8.48 crore Farmer IDs (77% of the 11 crore target) and plot-level crop data across 604 districts enabling precision delivery of agricultural schemes and subsidies.

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) — India Stack Model

Digital Public Infrastructure refers to shared digital systems — built on open standards and protocols — that provide essential services to an entire population. India's DPI approach, branded as "India Stack," has become a global model, with the framework endorsed at the G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration (September 2023).

  • Identity layer: Aadhaar (12-digit unique identity) — over 139 crore registrations, enabling authentication for government services and financial transactions.
  • Payments layer: Unified Payments Interface (UPI) — processes over 14 billion transactions monthly (2025 data), enabling real-time person-to-person and person-to-merchant payments.
  • Documents layer: DigiLocker — digital document verification and storage, linked to Aadhaar.
  • Data Governance: India's DPI model emphasizes data empowerment and protection through the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act).
  • G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration (2023) explicitly endorsed DPI as "shared digital systems... to enable service delivery to its population," recognizing India's leadership in this domain.
  • AgriStack extends the DPI approach to agriculture, creating domain-specific registries that plug into the broader India Stack ecosystem.

Connection to this news: AgriStack exemplifies the sector-specific application of India's DPI model, using the same foundational approach (unique identity, interoperable registries, open APIs) to solve agricultural challenges like subsidy leakage, crop insurance fraud, and inefficient procurement.

Namo Drone Didi Scheme

The Namo Drone Didi scheme is a Central Sector Scheme approved by the government with an outlay of Rs. 1,261 crore for the period 2023-24 to 2025-26. The scheme provides agricultural drones to 15,000 selected Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) for providing rental drone services to farmers for spraying liquid fertilizers and pesticides.

  • Funding: Central Financial Assistance covers 80% of drone cost up to Rs. 8 lakh per drone. Remaining amount can be raised through the National Agriculture Infra Financing Facility (AIF) with 3% interest subvention.
  • Training: 15-day training program for two SHG members — one drone pilot, one maintenance technician.
  • Drone package: Includes spray assembly, carrying box, batteries, fast charger, pH meter, anemometer, one-year warranty, two years annual maintenance, and comprehensive insurance.
  • Expected income: At least Rs. 1 lakh additional annual income per SHG from drone rental services.
  • Convergence: Links with the Lakhpati Didi initiative (target: 3 crore Lakhpati Didis by 2025-26) aimed at enabling SHG women to earn Rs. 1 lakh or more annually.

Connection to this news: The Namo Drone Didi scheme integrates technology (drones), women's empowerment (SHGs), and agricultural efficiency (precision spraying), representing the convergence approach in government scheme design that UPSC frequently tests.

Krishi Decision Support System (Krishi-DSS)

The Krishi Decision Support System integrates satellite imagery, weather data, soil health data, and crop data through Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to develop targeted agricultural advisories at the district, block, and plot level.

  • Integrates data from: Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites, India Meteorological Department (IMD) weather forecasts, Soil Health Card database, and crop sown registry.
  • Provides: crop area estimation, yield forecasting, drought assessment, crop health monitoring, and irrigation advisories.
  • Links to PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for crop insurance claims verification through satellite-based crop damage assessment.
  • Part of the broader National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A), now subsumed under the Digital Agriculture Mission.

Connection to this news: The outcomes report positions Krishi-DSS as a data integration platform that leverages AgriStack's foundational registries to deliver precision advisories, demonstrating how multiple digital agriculture initiatives interconnect.

Key Facts & Data

  • Farmer IDs generated: over 8.48 crore (target: 11 crore by 2026-27)
  • Digital Crop Survey (Kharif 2025): 604 districts, 28.5 crore+ plots covered
  • Kisan e-Mitra: AI chatbot in 11 languages, 8,000+ daily queries handled
  • National Pest Surveillance: covers 65 crops, 400+ pests, supports 10,000+ extension workers
  • Namo Drone Didi: Rs. 1,261 crore outlay, 15,000 drones to Women SHGs
  • Drone subsidy: 80% Central assistance up to Rs. 8 lakh per drone
  • Digital Agriculture Mission: Rs. 1,076 crore released to 6 states (as of March 2025)
  • SATHI platform: manages seed production, certification, and traceability through National Seed Grid