Over 91 lakh farmers in Maharashtra woke up to a direct credit on Friday, 30 October 2026, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 24th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme — pushing ₹1,835 crore straight into their bank accounts in a single disbursement event. Nationally, more than 9.34 crore farmers received a combined ₹18,690.32 crore, in what the Chief Minister's Office of Maharashtra confirmed is the scheme's largest single-day rural transfer in recent memory.

The formal disbursal took place at a programme held in Banaskantha, Gujarat, where Prime Minister Modi presided over the transfer. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis joined the event online from Varsha, his official residence in Mumbai — a symbolic gesture of state-level ownership over a centrally-funded benefit. The Maharashtra tally of 91,12,765 beneficiaries and ₹1,835 crore underscores the state's weight in India's agrarian welfare architecture.

₹50 Lakh Crore in Savings and Support: Modi's Decade-Long Ledger

Prime Minister Modi used the Banaskantha stage to lay out a sweeping account of agricultural transfers over the past decade. Central government policies, he said, have collectively delivered or saved farmers more than ₹50 lakh crore — a figure that spans direct income support, fertiliser subsidies, Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement, and crop insurance payouts.

On PM-KISAN alone, the Prime Minister noted that roughly ₹4 lakh crore has been credited directly to bank accounts since the scheme's launch in 2018-19. He pointed out that more than 85 percent of India's farmers are small and marginal landholders — precisely the segment the scheme targets with its annual ₹6,000 income support in three equal instalments.

Even as global fertiliser prices spiked, the Centre absorbed the burden rather than passing it on. The government has spent approximately ₹16 lakh crore keeping fertilisers affordable, Modi said. Over the past 12 years, wheat and paddy farmers have received ₹24 lakh crore through MSP-based procurement. The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana — the national crop insurance scheme launched in 2016 — has paid out more than ₹2 lakh crore in claims over a decade.

Solar Pumps, Climate Seeds, and Healthier Cattle

Beyond cash transfers, Modi highlighted the technology layer being laid under Indian agriculture. Under PM-KUSUM — the scheme approved in 2019 to promote solar energy in farming — roughly 12 lakh solar pumps have been installed nationwide. Those pumps have collectively displaced more than 80 crore litres of diesel, cutting both cost and carbon emissions, while farmers with surplus solar generation earn additional income feeding power back to the grid.

Seed innovation is another front: approximately 3,000 new crop varieties bred for climate resilience have been made available to farmers, the Prime Minister noted, a direct response to erratic monsoons and rising temperatures threatening yield stability.

Animal husbandry received equal attention. The National Gokul Mission, launched in 2014 to conserve and scientifically improve indigenous bovine breeds, has run alongside a nationwide free vaccination drive against foot-and-mouth disease. Around 150 crore vaccine doses have been administered, protecting the livestock of more than 8 crore farmers. The payoff is visible in productivity: average daily milk yield from cows and buffaloes has climbed from under 5 litres in 2013-14 to around 8 litres today, Modi said.

Run for Unity Call on Sardar Patel's Birth Anniversary

The Prime Minister also used the occasion to issue a public call ahead of 31 October — the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's first Deputy Prime Minister. Modi urged citizens, especially the youth, to participate in large numbers in the 'Run for Unity' held annually to mark the occasion. The appeal, delivered at a farmers' event, was a characteristic weaving of agrarian welfare with national commemorative culture.

For Maharashtra's 91 lakh-plus farmers, however, the headline today is simpler: the money is already in the account. Whether the 25th instalment arrives on schedule — and whether PM-KUSUM's solar pump rollout accelerates to meet demand — will be the real measure of momentum.