India needs climate-resilient farming: Few sectors reveal India’s policy dilemmas as sharply as agriculture, which must raise productivity and resilience under mounting climate and demographic pressure. The sector feeds 1.4 billion people, employs nearly half the workforce, and remains deeply vulnerable to erratic rainfall, soil degradation, and rising temperatures. Yet it continues to operate within frameworks designed for a different era — one of abundant labour, limited data, and predictable weather.
Recognising this, NITI Aayog has outlined an ambitious vision in its report Re-imagining Agriculture: A Roadmap for Frontier Technology-Led Transformation. The document calls for moving beyond incremental mechanisation to a digital, data-driven ecosystem powered by artificial intelligence, drones, satellite imaging, and precision irrigation. These tools, it argues, can transform Indian farming into a more productive, climate-resilient, and globally competitive enterprise — provided policy, data governance, and finance align to support it.
READ I Afghanistan economy: A crisis in slow motion
Understanding the farmer spectrum
The roadmap recognises that Indian farmers are not a monolith. It classifies them into aspiring, transitioning, and advanced categories based on land size, resource base, and access to irrigation. Such segmentation ensures tailored interventions — from marginal half-hectare plots to fully mechanised farms.
Despite its central role in the economy, agriculture still operates under outdated laws like the Essential Commodities Act (1955) and APMC Acts, designed for a pre-digital era. The sector needs a regulatory reboot that encourages innovation while protecting farmer interests. Clarity among ministries — between the tech owner, regulator, data custodian, and farmer interface — is essential to prevent bureaucratic gridlock.
Building an agri-tech ecosystem
India already hosts 450+ agritech start-ups, and the market is expected to reach $24 billion in five years. Yet, scaling innovation requires policy coherence and risk-tolerant regulation.
The NITI Aayog roadmap advocates ‘Uberisation’ of technology, where farm-equipment-as-a-service models allow smallholders to rent drones, soil sensors, or robotic tools instead of purchasing them outright. This approach can democratise access, especially if supported by digital platforms and cooperative networks.
At the same time, a digital agriculture law is overdue. Such legislation would define accountability in data-driven systems, safeguard privacy, and reduce uncertainty for innovators.
Data governance and connectivity
Data is the foundation of climate-resilient farming and the new farm economy. The roadmap envisions a 360-degree farm-data ecosystem connecting soil sensors, irrigation, logistics, and pricing. But data collection alone will not build trust; ownership, consent, and stewardship are equally vital.
India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act (2023) offers a starting point but does not address sectoral nuances. Who owns the data collected by a drone — the farmer, the service provider, or the state? Without a specialised farm-data charter, distrust will slow adoption.
The roadmap proposes federated data systems, open APIs, and vernacular interfaces, but implementation depends on digital infrastructure. Rural India still struggles with patchy broadband, unreliable electricity, and limited IoT coverage. Initiatives like BharatNet and 5G pilots for precision farming must move faster to bridge this digital divide.
Climate-resilient farming and technology
The blueprint’s deeper promise lies in its ability to future-proof agriculture against climate shocks. Predictive AI models can forecast monsoon deviations; satellite data can map soil moisture; and IoT sensors can trigger automated irrigation in drought zones.
These tools are already being tested. The Indian Meteorological Department’s AI-based weather forecasting, ICAR’s crop-climate modelling, and state-level early warning systems in Odisha and Gujarat show how technology can reduce loss and improve planning. Yet, scaling climate-resilient farming nationally requires coordinated investments across ministries and states.
Strengthening institutions and farmer capacity
Technology adoption depends as much on human systems as digital ones. The article’s earlier version missed the importance of institutional capacity — agricultural universities, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) are the backbone of extension services.
NITI Aayog’s vision must be integrated into agricultural curricula, local extension programmes, and digital-skilling missions. Empowering women’s collectives and youth-led FPOs to operate drones, manage data, and run agri-tech cooperatives can make the transition inclusive.
Financing climate-resilient farming
Technology without finance remains sterile. While schemes like PPPAVCD (Public-Private Partnership for Integrated Agricultural Value Chain Development) have relaxed participation criteria, funding remains concentrated among larger agribusinesses.
A major reform should enable smaller collectives — 50–100 farmers — to access drone services or AI-based advisories. Credit guarantees for start-ups and farmer cooperatives can catalyse inclusion. The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and NABARD’s digital lending pilots could serve as vehicles to expand access.
From vision to execution
A technology-led transformation also enhances India’s global competitiveness. As export markets such as the EU adopt traceability and carbon-footprint standards, agri-data interoperability will determine market access. A national agri-blockchain system could help Indian produce meet these standards, improving credibility and export earnings.
India has never lacked policy ambition; its weakness lies in execution. To realise NITI Aayog’s roadmap, data policy, climate-resilient farming, and institutional reform must align.
This demands a National Digital Agriculture Mission 2.0 with representation from states, industry, cooperatives, and civil society. The mission should establish a Farm Data Charter, fund connectivity, and build digital capacities at the panchayat level.
If done right, India can move from policy cultivation to systemic transformation — empowering its farmers not just to grow crops, but to grow with technology.