Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday, 7 July 2026 launched the 'Pragati' programme at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, in the presence of representatives from multiple civil-society organisations, marking a fresh push to scale agri-entrepreneurship across rural India.

Context

Posting on X, Minister Chouhan announced the formal launch of the programme, stating: 'aaj Nayi Dilli sthit Krishi Bhawan mein vibhinn sangathanon ke saath Pragati karyakram ka shubharambh kiya' ('Today I launched the Pragati programme at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, in collaboration with various organisations'). He noted that 26,000 agri-entrepreneurs have already been trained under the initiative, and that 20,000 additional entrepreneurs will now be trained to expand the campaign further.

The minister described these trained entrepreneurs as active links between farmers and modern agriculture — connecting villages to new technology, quality seeds, mechanisation, and contemporary farming practices. He expressed confidence that the programme will play a significant role in raising farmers' incomes, making agriculture progressive, and protecting soil health.

Policy Backdrop

The Pragati initiative sits within the broader framework of the Modi government's Viksit Bharat vision — a national development goal targeting a developed India by 2047. Chouhan explicitly linked the programme to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resolve, noting that civil-society organisations are increasingly stepping forward to help realise this ambition.

The government's emphasis on agri-entrepreneurship as an extension model has roots in earlier policy moves, including the Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres scheme, which promoted trained intermediaries as a cost-effective way to deliver agricultural services to small and marginal farmers. Successive union budgets have reinforced the twin priorities of farmer income growth and soil health, making the Pragati model consistent with that lineage.

The approach of blending government programmes with non-state actors — organisations, cooperatives, and trained rural entrepreneurs — has been a recurring feature of agricultural policy under the current dispensation, aimed at achieving scalable rural transformation without proportionally scaling bureaucratic overheads.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries are small and marginal farmers across rural India, who often lack direct access to extension services, modern inputs, and mechanisation. Trained agri-entrepreneurs serve as the last-mile link, translating government schemes and modern techniques into on-ground practice at the village level.

Civil-society organisations present at the Krishi Bhawan launch are positioned as implementation partners, suggesting the programme intends to leverage existing organisational networks rather than build parallel infrastructure. The participation of diverse organisations also signals an attempt to give the initiative a non-partisan, broad-based character.

For the 20,000 prospective agri-entrepreneurs to be trained in the next phase, the programme represents a livelihood and professional opportunity, potentially creating a cadre of rural agri-service providers with market-linked roles.

What's Next

The immediate focus will be on the selection and training schedule for the additional 20,000 agri-entrepreneurs, including the identification of partner organisations, training curricula, and geographic prioritisation. Observers will watch for any budgetary allocations or formal scheme notifications linked to this expansion in the next agriculture ministry review or parliamentary session.

If the programme scales as announced, it could emerge as a significant plank in the government's pre-2027 election narrative on farmer welfare, particularly in states with large agrarian populations. The ministry's ability to demonstrate measurable income gains for farmers reached through this network will be the key metric against which the initiative's success is ultimately judged.