AI, Drones Transforming India’s Agriculture: Over 2600 Drones Distributed, AI Tools Answer 95 Lakh Farmer Queries
New Delhi, July 22: The Government of India is leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and drone technologies to drive productivity, sustainability, and income enhancement across the agriculture sector. This was informed by Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ramnath Thakur, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
AI-Powered Solutions Driving Smart Agriculture
Among the key initiatives is ‘Kisan e-Mitra’, a voice-based AI chatbot that assists farmers with real-time responses to queries related to the PM-KISAN scheme. Available in 11 regional languages, the chatbot handles over 20,000 queries daily and has responded to more than 95 lakh queries to date. The platform is being gradually expanded to cover other government agricultural programs.
The government is also deploying AI and machine learning tools in the National Pest Surveillance System, enabling more than 10,000 extension workers to detect pest infestations through image-based diagnostics. The system currently supports 61 crops and over 400 pest species, helping minimize crop loss and improve yields.
In addition, AI-based analytics using satellite imagery and field photographs are being used to monitor crop health and support weather-based assessments.
Drones in Agriculture: Empowering Farmers and Women SHGs
To encourage the adoption of drone technology, the government is offering substantial financial assistance under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM):
100% subsidy (up to ₹10 lakh) for government institutions like ICAR institutes, KVKs, and SAUs for drone demonstrations.
75% subsidy for Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) for on-field demonstrations.
40–50% assistance for CHCs, agriculture graduates, and individual farmers, with higher support for women, SC/ST, small/marginal farmers, and those in the North-East.
Namo Drone Didi: Women-Led Agri-Tech Movement
A flagship initiative, ‘Namo Drone Didi’, is being implemented with an outlay of ₹1,261 crore (2023–26) to empower Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) as drone service providers. Under the scheme:
The target is to distribute 15,000 drones to SHGs.
A government subsidy of 80% (up to ₹8 lakh per drone) is offered, with SHGs contributing the remaining 20%—which can be financed through Agri Infra Fund at a 3% interest subvention.
1,094 drones were distributed in 2023–24, including 500 under the Namo Drone Didi scheme by Lead Fertilizer Companies.
State-wise Distribution of Drones (2023–24)
Top recipients under SMAM: Andhra Pradesh (1,475), Madhya Pradesh (300), Uttar Pradesh (158).
Top Namo Drone Didi recipients: Karnataka (82), Telangana (72), Andhra Pradesh (96), Haryana (22), Punjab (23).
In total, 2,622 drones have been distributed so far under various schemes.
These integrated AI and drone initiatives are part of the government’s broader strategy to make Indian agriculture climate-resilient, data-driven, and tech-enabled, while creating new income opportunities for rural youth and women.
