India has a rare advantage in the global race to modernise agriculture, leveraging emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). The country benefits from a vision to deploy digital public infrastructure (DPI) at scale, a fast-growing agritech ecosystem, and clear policy intent — from Aadhaar and UPI to initiatives like the Digital Agriculture Mission and Agri Stack.

Few countries have built such a level of digital foundation before transforming agriculture. India has.

But infrastructure alone does not change lives.

The real test is whether AI reaches the “first mile” with relevance, affordability and trust, turning fragmented data into usable decisions for small-scale farmers facing climate volatility, input inflation and market shocks. If India succeeds, it will not just transform its own farms — it will redraw the digital agriculture playbook for the Global South.

This matters because global food demand is rising even as the climate crisis, water stress and land degradation intensify. For India, where over 80 per cent of farmers cultivate on less than 2 hectares of land, the challenge is not only producing more, but producing better: sustainably, resiliently and inclusively.

That is where AI enters the conversation — not as hype, but as a practical tool. Done right, AI can translate climate and agronomic data into real-time advisories that help farmers optimise water, fertiliser and inputs. It can strengthen early warning systems for pests and extreme weather, improve traceability and enable smarter decisions across........

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