On the tenth anniversary of the Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme, an initiative launched by Prime Minister Modi in 2015, it is time to take it to the next level. Beyond its role in assessing soil health, the SHC mobile application exemplifies the digital public infrastructure (DPI) that India has been seeking in agriculture. With a vast repository of soil and farmer data now being geo-tagged, the SHC platform has the potential to serve as the backbone of a national agri-stack.

Instead of every state government wasting resources in investing in multiple fragmented agri-stack initiatives, the Central government should build upon the existing SHC framework, leveraging its established data architecture to create a unified agricultural digital ecosystem. A centralised, data-driven approach would enhance efficiency, streamline resource allocation, and foster better decision-making for both policymakers and farmers.

The Soil Health Card scheme is managed by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. This initiative has been coordinated with state governments and agricultural research institutions to ensure comprehensive soil health monitoring and data collection. The SHC mobile application and digital ecosystem need to be further integrated with climate and........

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