The Centre will soon roll out a multi-lingual artificial intelligence tool, Bharat-VISTAAR, aimed at integrating AgriStack portals with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s (ICAR) package on farm practices, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her Budget speech on Sunday.
“I propose to launch Bharat-VISTAAR — a multilingual AI tool that shall integrate the AgriStack portals and the ICAR package on agricultural practices with AI systems. This will enhance farm productivity, enable better decisions for farmers and reduce risk by providing customised advisory support,” the finance minister said.
The move is expected to provide customised, data-driven advisory support to farmers and enhance decision-making at the field level.
Experts welcomed the initiative, noting its potential to boost precision farming and productivity. Ankur Aggarwal, Chairman of CropLife India, told PTI, “Integrating Agri Stack’s digital farmer records with ICAR’s validated package of practices can support more precise, need-based decisions at the field level. However, digital advisory delivers results only when it is backed by effective on-ground extension systems that ensure guidance reaches farmers in time and is applied correctly in local conditions.”
Susheel Kumar, Country Head & Managing Director, Syngenta India, described the Budget’s emphasis on AI-led agriculture, particularly through Bharat-VISTAAR, as a “recognition of the role of digital advisory in improving farm-level decision-making, productivity and resilience.”
The move was also lauded for its focus on local languages. M K Dhanuka, Chairman, Dhanuka Agritech, said, “The announcement of Bharat Vistaar, which will provide customised advisories in local languages, is particularly encouraging. These initiatives can empower farmers to make better and more timely decisions at the field level, supporting productivity and efficient farm management.”
Other experts cited by PTI noted that the launch of Bharat-VISTAAR is a major step towards technology-driven, precision agriculture. They said the initiative is expected to help farmers make informed decisions, optimise the use of water, fertilisers and other inputs, improve crop yields and nutrition, and reduce risks.
Sandeep Sabharwal, Group CEO of SLCM Ltd, told PTI that Bharat VISTAAR would equip farmers with precise advisories to reduce risks, while Vinay Nair, Founder of startup KhetiBuddy, said that by providing access to soil, weather, advisory, and scheme-related data in a federated manner, farmers would be able to make better decisions at the field level.
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