Government deploys remote sensing, GIS, AI, drones and digital platforms to improve crop forecasts, pest surveillance, insurance claims and farmer services

Key Highlights

• Government uses satellites, drones, AI, remote sensing, GIS and IoT for technology-driven crop monitoring.
• FASAL provides pre-harvest forecasts for 11 major crops across 20 states.
• YES-TECH uses satellite-based models for crop-yield estimation and insurance claims in 12 states.
• 2,122 Kisan Drones have been distributed or approved under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization.
• 1,094 drones have been distributed to women-led SHGs under Namo Drone Didi.
• AI-based BharatVistaar has served more than 5.9 lakh farmers and addressed over 93 lakh queries.
• Kisan Sarthi has more than 2.97 crore registered farmers.

India is expanding the use of digital and emerging technologies to monitor crops, assess weather and disaster impacts, improve yield estimation and provide farmers with faster agricultural advisories.

The government is using a combination of satellite imagery, remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), drones, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and Internet of Things (IoT) to strengthen agricultural decision-making and improve delivery of farm-related services.

Satellite Technology Supports Crop Forecasting

The FASAL (Forecasting Agricultural output using Space, Agro-meteorology and Land-based observations) programme uses multispectral and Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite data to generate pre-harvest production forecasts at national, state and district levels.

The system currently covers 11 major crops across 20 states, including paddy, wheat, jute, cotton, sugarcane, soybean, tur, gram, mustard, lentil and rabi sorghum.

The government also uses remote sensing to generate vegetation-condition maps, assess soil moisture, monitor drought and floods, and evaluate hailstorm impacts.

Krishi-DSS Enables Data-Based Decisions

The Krishi Decision Support System (Krishi-DSS) integrates satellite, weather, soil, crop, reservoir and groundwater information with government scheme data.

The platform supports crop mapping, identification of sowing patterns, crop diversification and drought and flood monitoring. Its technology-based yield assessments can also support the settlement of crop insurance claims.

The system is intended to provide government agencies, researchers and the agri-tech sector with a common data ecosystem for developing technology-based agricultural solutions.

AI Strengthens Pest Surveillance

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly being deployed to identify crop pests and provide timely interventions.

The National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS) currently covers 73 crops and 436 pests. Farmers can upload images of pests or crop problems to receive AI-assisted guidance.

So far, the system has issued 35,565 advisories.

Another major initiative, BharatVistaar, is a multilingual AI-powered Digital Public Infrastructure for Agriculture. It provides location-specific agricultural information covering government schemes, crop and livestock advisories, weather, mandi prices, pest and disease identification, soil-health recommendations and grievance redressal.

According to the government, BharatVistaar has served more than 5.9 lakh farmers and responded to over 93 lakh farmer queries.

Kisan Sarthi Connects Farmers With Expert Advice

The ICAR-developed KISAN SARATHI platform is being used by Krishi Vigyan Kendras to provide crop-specific agricultural advisories.

More than 2.97 crore farmers are registered on the platform, expanding the reach of technology-enabled agricultural extension services.

Drone Adoption Expands

Drones are being promoted under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) for applications including spraying and farm operations.

Financial assistance of up to 50% is available for agriculture graduates and small and marginal farmers in the North-Eastern states for purchasing Kisan Drones, while other farmers can receive assistance of 40% of the cost. Similar assistance is available for establishing Custom Hiring Centres for Kisan Drones.

A total of 2,122 drones have been distributed or approved under SMAM.

Under the Namo Drone Didi scheme, selected women Self-Help Groups are being equipped with drones to provide agricultural services to farmers on a rental basis. So far, 1,094 drones have been distributed to Drone Didis, with SHG members receiving training at DGCA-authorised Remote Pilot Training Organisations.

Technology Also Supports Crop Insurance and Farmer Payments

The government’s broader AgriStack and Digital Agriculture Mission ecosystem is being integrated with schemes and services including PM-KISAN, MSP-based procurement, fertiliser booking and the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

Farmer IDs are being used for enrolment under PMFBY, procurement under the Price Support Scheme and integration with Soil Health Cards. Digital Crop Survey data is also being used to generate near-real-time crop production estimates.

The government says these digital systems are helping improve beneficiary targeting, accelerate DBT payments, support disaster relief and streamline access to institutional services.

Technology Push Could Improve Farm-to-Market Efficiency

The expansion of AI, satellite monitoring and digital crop surveys has implications beyond farm productivity. More accurate production estimates can help improve food supply planning, procurement and commodity-market visibility, while better crop monitoring can support faster responses to weather and pest-related disruptions.

For the food processing, hospitality and tourism sectors, improved agricultural intelligence could eventually translate into greater predictability in the availability and pricing of key food commodities. Better yield forecasting and digital traceability can also strengthen supply-chain planning from farms to processors, distributors, hotels and restaurants.

The government’s technology-led approach therefore represents a shift toward data-driven agriculture, with digital tools increasingly being used not just to monitor crops but also to connect farmers with advisories, finance, insurance, markets and government support.