Mumbai, Feb 22 (NationPress) The upcoming agricultural revolution in India is set to be spearheaded by artificial intelligence, according to the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, who emphasized its role as a fundamental element of agricultural policy, research, and investment frameworks.

Speaking at the opening of the "Global Conference on AI in Agriculture and Investor Summit 2026" in Mumbai, he stated that AI presents scalable solutions to long-standing structural issues that hinder farm productivity—such as unpredictable weather, information gaps, and fragmented markets.

Dr. Singh underscored the potential of India's 140 million farm holdings, predominantly small and marginal, to create an estimated Rs 70,000 crore in annual value if AI-driven advisories assist farmers in saving even Rs 5,000 annually through improved input timing, pest forecasting, and market connections. He referenced Maharashtra's Rs 500-crore MahaAgri-AI Policy 2025–29 as a successful example, noting that the central government will support and enhance such state-level initiatives.

The Union Budget for 2026–27 has introduced ‘Bharat-VISTAAR’—a multilingual AI tool that integrates AgriStack portals with ICAR's agricultural practices, designed to offer tailored advisory support and mitigate farming risks. He noted that the emphasis is on small, specialized AI models trained on India's diverse soil types, climate conditions, and crop varieties, which can function even in low-connectivity rural settings via mobile devices and agricultural machinery.

"AI does not merely provide a new diagnosis; it delivers a scalable remedy," he articulated, adding that a mere 10% increase in productivity for the 600 million farmers in the Global South could present the single largest opportunity for poverty alleviation of this century.

Positioning agriculture as a strategic sector rather than a traditional one, Dr. Singh connected the AI initiative to the Rs 10,372-crore India AI Mission, which aims to establish sovereign computing capabilities, datasets, and infrastructure for startups at scale. He brought attention to BharatGen, India's government-backed large language model network that has introduced "Agri Param," a specialized agriculture model available in 22 Indian languages, allowing farmers to receive advisory services in their native languages. "This is AI that communicates with farmers in Marathi, Bhojpuri, or Kannada," he said, highlighting the significance of linguistic inclusivity.

The minister mentioned that the Department of Science and Technology (DST) is fostering an open, interoperable India AI Open Stack to ensure that agri-AI innovations can integrate into a national framework. The Anusandhan National Research Foundation is financing advanced technology and AI research in collaboration with IITs, IISc, and ICAR, focusing on agricultural applications.

Dr. Singh noted the advancements in drone and satellite mapping that are enhancing soil health assessments and the Swamitva Mission by providing verified land and soil data, along with investments in climate intelligence that merge Earth Sciences and AI into early warning systems to assist farmers in "planning, not panicking." He stressed that biotechnology will be essential in developing resilient and disease-resistant crops, including early detection of pests and plant diseases, and in promoting a circular crop economy.

He advocated for a federated national framework, suggesting that agri-digital public infrastructures like MahaAgriX evolve into a national Agri Data Commons. He called upon stakeholders to engage in a proposed National Agri-AI Research Network—a collaboration among DST, state governments, ICRISAT, ICAR, and international organizations—to create India-specific foundational datasets related to crops, soil, and climate.

The minister made a direct appeal to investors, labeling agri-AI as "the largest untapped productivity market globally," and encouraged long-term investment to support scalable platforms rather than isolated initiatives. He stated that the success of the conference would not be gauged by presentations but by the number of pilots transformed into platforms and the improved decision-making of farmers a year from now due to the commitments made here.

"Farmers do not require AI just for its own sake. They need it to be beneficial. Let that guide our efforts," he concluded, reiterating India's commitment to being a co-architect of global agri-AI frameworks rather than merely a recipient.