NEW DELHI: In a major push for tech-driven agriculture, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the launch of 'Bharat Vistar' in the Union Budget 2026-27—a multilingual AI tool set to integrate AgriStack portals and ICAR's agricultural practices with advanced AI systems, transforming how farmers access resources and make decisions.
The platform will boost farm productivity, deliver customised advisory support to reduce risks, and enable better on-ground choices for millions of farmers, aligning with the government's vision for AI integration in farming.
This comes alongside robust support for animal husbandry to spur rural jobs: a credit-linked subsidy program; scaling up and modernisation of livestock enterprises; enhanced creation of livestock, dairy, and poultry-focused integrated value chains; and encouragement for livestock farmer producer organisations.
High-value agriculture gets a thrust too, promoting crops like coconut, sandalwood, cashew, cocoa, agar trees (in the North East), and nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and pine nuts in coastal and suitable regions. India, the world's largest coconut producer, sustaining 30 million livelihoods (including 10 million farmers), will benefit from a dedicated promotion scheme to hike production via interventions like replacing non-productive trees with high-yield saplings in key states.
Dedicated programs target self-reliance in cashew and cocoa processing, aiming to elevate Indian brands globally by 2030. Sandalwood cultivation and post-harvest processing will partner with states to revive its cultural ecosystem, while old orchards of walnuts, almonds, and pine nuts will be rejuvenated through high-density planting and youth-led value addition.
These AI-enabled reforms build on prior budgets, where agriculture allocations reached Rs. 1.27 lakh crore, amid 46.1% workforce reliance per PLFS 2023-24.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the Union Budget 2026-27, announced targeted agricultural initiatives, prioritising higher farmer incomes, youth empowerment, and integrated fisheries development to drive rural growth.
"Our third karta view aligns with our vision," Sitharaman stated in Parliament, outlining key efforts for boosting farmer incomes via productivity gains and entrepreneurship, especially for small and marginal farmers, empowering youth with livelihood opportunities, training, and high-quality assistive devices, and supporting vulnerable groups through mental health and trauma care access.
She emphasised a special focus on the poor, older states, and the North East to accelerate development and employment.
In fisheries, the government will launch initiatives for the integrated development of 500 reservoirs and other water bodies. These aim to strengthen the fisheries value chain in coastal areas, foster market linkages via startups, women-led groups, and fish farmer producer organisations.
For animal husbandry—slated to create quality jobs in rural and peri-urban areas—Sitharaman detailed support through a credit-linked subsidy program, scaling up and modernisation of livestock enterprises, and enhanced creation of livestock dairy infrastructure.
These measures build on Budget 2025-26's agriculture push, where DA&FW allocations hit Rs. 1,27,290 crore amid 46.1% workforce engagement in the sector per PLFS 2023-24.
Finance minister Niramala Sitharaman highlighted the government's steps to ensure that farmers and rural citizens benefit directly from every agricultural action, rolling out reforms to boost employment in agri-allied sectors, enhance agricultural productivity, strengthen farm household purchasing power, and deliver universal services to agrarian communities.
The FM said that these agriculture-focused measures have contributed to a high growth rate of around 7 per cent, enabling substantial strides in rural poverty reduction and uplifting the lives of millions in the farming heartland.
She further added that today, India faces an external environment where trade and multilateralism for agri-exports are imperilled, access to seeds, fertilisers, and supply chains is disrupted, and new technologies like precision farming and AI are transforming agri-production systems while sharply increasing demand for water, energy, and critical minerals for sustainable cropping.
She affirmed India's growth to continue to take confident steps towards Viksit Bharat by balancing agricultural ambition—such as doubling farm incomes—with inclusive growth for smallholders and rural ecosystems.
What is Bharat Vistar?
Bharat Vistar is a multilingual AI-powered platform introduced as a "virtually integrated system" to streamline farmers' access to agricultural resources.
By fusing AgriStack portals with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) practice packages through advanced AI, it aims to enhance farm productivity, empower sharper decision-making, and minimise risks via tailored advisories on crops, weather, and markets.
The tool targets the 46.1% of India's workforce reliant on agriculture (PLFS 2023-24), marking a leap in precision farming to support smallholders and align with Vikasit Bharat goals.
Start a Conversation
Post comment