Hyderabad: The government expanded the use of Artificial Intelligence in agriculture to improve crop productivity, sustainability and farmer support services across the country. According to information presented in the Lok Sabha, several AI-driven systems were operational and provided real-time guidance, crop protection support and climate-related inputs.
The “Kisan e-Mitra” voice-based chatbot formed a major part of this expansion. It responded to farmer queries related to PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, PM Fasal Bhima Yojna and the Kisan Credit Card. It supported 11 regional languages. The platform handled more than 8,000 queries a day and answered over 93 lakh questions.
In crop protection, the National Pest Surveillance System used AI and Machine Learning to identify pest infestations. More than 10,000 extension workers used the system, which supported 66 crops and 432 pests. Farmers uploaded pest images and received timely advisories that helped reduce crop losses. AI-based analytics and satellite-linked imagery further assisted in crop-weather matching for better field monitoring.
The government also ran an AI pilot to provide localised monsoon onset forecasts across parts of 13 states for Kharif 2025. The pilot used an open-source blended model with NeuralGCM, ECMWF’s AI Forecasting System and 125 years of IMD rainfall records. Forecasts reached 3,88,45,214 farmers through SMS in five regional languages.
Feedback collected through Kisan Call Centres in Madhya Pradesh and Bihar showed that 31–52% of farmers changed land preparation and sowing plans after receiving these forecasts. This response indicated the growing impact of AI-based tools in supporting agricultural decisions.
