Cabinet extends PM-KISAN till 2030-31 with ₹3.15 lakh crore outlay to continue income support for farmers
The Centre has approved a fresh five-year extension of PM-KISAN, ensuring ₹6,000 annual direct income support for eligible farmers while reinforcing digital governance, rural investment and agricultural productivity.
According to the government, more than ₹4.47 lakh crore has already been transferred directly into farmers' bank accounts through 23 instalments under the scheme.
NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme from 2026-27 to 2030-31 with a financial outlay of ₹3.15 lakh crore, reaffirming the Centre’s commitment to providing direct income support to eligible farmer families across the country.
The decision, taken by the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ensures that eligible landholding farmers will continue to receive ₹6,000 annually in three equal instalments through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. Since its launch in February 2019, PM-KISAN has emerged as one of India’s largest income support programmes for farmers, driven by Aadhaar authentication, digital verification and a technology-enabled payment system.
According to the government, more than ₹4.47 lakh crore has already been transferred directly into farmers’ bank accounts through 23 instalments under the scheme. The latest, the 23rd instalment, benefited more than 9.49 crore farmers, with over ₹18,984 crore credited directly to beneficiaries.
The scheme also played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic, when more than ₹1.71 lakh crore was disbursed to support farming households amid economic disruptions.
Women farmers have emerged as significant beneficiaries under PM-KISAN. The government said women have received more than ₹1.06 lakh crore under the scheme so far, with nearly one in every four beneficiaries being a woman farmer.
The Cabinet noted that the assured income support has enabled farmers to make timely investments in seeds, fertilisers, irrigation, farm machinery and other agricultural inputs. This has helped reduce dependence on informal sources of credit while improving financial stability in rural households.
Independent assessments have also highlighted the scheme’s impact. According to an evaluation by the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO) of NITI Aayog, more than 92% of beneficiaries reported using the financial assistance for agricultural activities and farm investments. Around 85% said the scheme had improved their agricultural income while reducing reliance on informal borrowing.
The government also linked the scheme with improvements in agricultural performance between 2020-21 and 2025-26. During the period, the cultivated area increased by about 9.65%, productivity rose by approximately 10.53%, and total foodgrain production grew by nearly 21.18%, reflecting broader support to the agriculture sector.
PM-KISAN has also become a flagship example of Digital India’s governance model. Aadhaar-based authentication, digital beneficiary verification and direct bank transfers have significantly reduced leakages while ensuring transparent and timely delivery of financial assistance.
The government said the continuation of the scheme will further strengthen farmers’ capacity to invest in agriculture, improve productivity, reduce farming risks and boost the rural economy. It described PM-KISAN as a key pillar of its farmer-centric policies and an important instrument in empowering India’s food producers as the country works towards the goal of Viksit Bharat.
