AI-powered pest detection, weather forecasting and multilingual digital advisory platforms drive India’s digital agriculture mission

Key Highlights

• Ministry of Agriculture is expanding Artificial Intelligence (AI) across farming, crop insurance, governance and farmer advisory services.
• 5.28 crore farmers are receiving AI-based monsoon and weather advisories from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
• National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS) supports 73 crops and identifies 436 pests, with over 10,000 extension workers using the platform.
• BharatVistaar, the AI-powered Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Agriculture, has served over 3 lakh farmers and responded to more than 72 lakh farmer queries.
• The platform provides information on 18 Central Government schemes, weather, mandi prices, pest management and crop advisories in 10 languages.
• Government allocated ₹502.40 crore for digital agriculture initiatives in 2026-27, including AI-enabled technologies.
• Information shared by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

India Accelerates AI Adoption Across Agriculture to Improve Farm Productivity and Advisory Services

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is expanding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as part of the Digital Agriculture Mission, with technologies now supporting weather forecasting, pest surveillance, crop identification, insurance, governance and delivery of government schemes.

The initiative aims to make agriculture more data-driven while helping farmers make informed decisions through real-time digital advisories.

In addition to AI, the Digital Agriculture Mission also supports State Governments in deploying emerging technologies such as Machine Learning, Blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT) and Robotics across the agricultural sector.

AI-Powered Pest Surveillance Protects Crops

One of the flagship initiatives is the National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS), an AI and Machine Learning-based platform designed to reduce crop losses caused by pests and climate variability.

The platform allows farmers and agricultural extension workers to upload images of infected crops, enabling rapid pest identification and timely intervention.

Current capabilities include:

• Support for 73 crops
• Detection of 436 pest species
• Used by over 10,000 agricultural extension workers

The system is expected to improve crop health while reducing production losses through early warning and targeted pest management.

5.28 Crore Farmers Receive AI-Based Weather Advisories

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is using AI to deliver location-specific weather forecasts and monsoon advisories tailored to agricultural needs.

According to the Ministry:

• Approximately 5.28 crore farmers are currently receiving AI-powered weather advisories.

These forecasts help farmers plan sowing, irrigation, fertilizer application and harvesting based on changing weather conditions, improving farm-level decision-making and climate resilience.

BharatVistaar Expands Digital Agricultural Services

The Government has also launched BharatVistaar (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources), a multilingual AI-powered Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) platform for agriculture.

The platform provides:

• Real-time crop advisories
• Livestock guidance
• Weather forecasts
• Mandi prices
• Pest and disease identification
• Soil health recommendations
• Access to Government schemes
• Grievance redressal services

As of now:

• More than 3 lakh farmers have used the platform.
• Over 72 lakh farmer queries have been addressed.
• Information on 18 Central Government schemes is available.

BharatVistaar can be accessed through:

• Web portal
• Mobile application
• AI chatbot
• Dedicated telephone service

The chatbot, website and mobile application currently support 10 Indian languages, while telephone services are available in Hindi and English.

Government Continues Investment in Digital Agriculture

The Ministry also released funding details for digital agriculture initiatives, including AI projects.

*Utilisation reported up to the current period.

The Government noted that while no comprehensive assessment has yet been undertaken to measure the overall impact of AI technologies, it continues to provide financial assistance and technical support to States and Union Territories for implementing digital agriculture projects and capacity-building programmes, particularly for small and marginal farmers.

Hospitality, Food & Tourism Impact

The increasing use of Artificial Intelligence in agriculture is expected to strengthen food production systems that support India’s hospitality, foodservice and tourism industries.

• Hotels, restaurants and catering businesses can benefit from improved crop forecasting, pest management and weather intelligence, leading to more reliable supplies of fresh produce.
• AI-enabled advisory systems can improve the consistency and quality of fruits, vegetables, cereals and spices that are essential for premium hospitality experiences.
• Stable agricultural production supports farm-to-table restaurants, wellness resorts and sustainable hospitality brands that emphasize locally sourced ingredients.
• Better pest surveillance and climate forecasting can help reduce crop losses, improving availability of regional specialties that drive culinary tourism.
• Digital agriculture also enhances resilience in rural economies, supporting agritourism, village tourism and destination-based food experiences where agriculture plays a central role.

Hospitality Outlook

India’s growing investment in AI-driven agriculture reflects a broader shift toward technology-enabled food systems. As digital tools improve crop protection, weather forecasting and farmer advisory services, the hospitality sector stands to benefit from stronger agricultural supply chains, improved ingredient quality and greater resilience against climate-related disruptions. These developments can further strengthen India’s farm-to-fork movement and create new opportunities for culinary tourism and sustainable hospitality.