This article has been published in partnership with the Gates Foundation.

In Gujarat’s Ajarpura village, Gayatriben knew something was wrong when one of her buffaloes kept banging its head against a tree. In another place called Ishnav (Palaj),Charmiben was trying to understand why a cow was not growing properly even after being dewormed.

For farmers, questions like these often require quick answers. Today, both women can turn to an artificial intelligence system and ask in their native language.

Across India, AI is finding new ways to support farmers, from crop and weather advisories to cattle care and access to agricultural services. The Better Indiaexplored the Gates Foundation’s 2026 Goalkeepers Report, spoke to farmers and technology leaders, and looked at initiatives such as Maharashtra’s MahaVISTAAR and Amul’s Sarlaben to understand how AI is being shaped around farmers’ everyday needs, and what it could mean for making useful, personalised information more accessible at the grassroots.

The right advice can save a whole crop 

For Dipali Kalbhor, a smallholder farmer and entrepreneur from Maharashtra, farming has been a journey of setbacks and second chances. 

After a failed poultry venture, she rebuilt her livelihood through beekeeping, growing from 30 bee boxes to more than 1,000 today. 

Kalbhor tells The Better India that one of her biggest lessons has been that farmers need both a strong team and access to the right information. She discovered MahaVISTAAR during an agricultural training session and now uses it for crop prices, weather, pest control and government schemes. 

Its fertiliser calculator has been particularly useful, helping her reduce fertiliser use by around 15%, she says. She also uses the platform to check local crop prices and connect with agricultural officials, calling it a tool she consults “at least two or three times a day.”

She also used it for guidance on raising 10,000 mulberry saplings in a nursery, information about a vermicompost scheme and availing contact with government officers.

How Sarlaben helps dairy farmers 

In Gujarat, Amul has introduced Sarlaben, an AI assistant that offers dairy........

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