Introduction

India’s agritech market is growing at 25% annually, with eNAM linking over 1,000 mandis across the country.

With about 500 million small farms using digital tools, it helps around 2 billion people in this earth. Initiatives like AI4AI and Digital Green are helping enhance productivity on the farm and increasing market transparency​

Current Status in India and the World

India’s digital agriculture landscape is getting to be one of the fastest in the world. Bringing better markets, resource optimization, and more to the doorsteps of farmers, it is eNAM and AgriStack that are doing this. The other two widely advanced countries in precision farming, Brazil and the U.S., have paved the way forward. In the Indian State of Telangana, the use of AI-based tools for chili farming has increased farmer incomes by 30%.
Currently, Brazil has successfully harnessed drones and IoT-based farming solutions to enhance soybean production, which registered a yield growth rate of 12% globally.

Benefits of E-Technology

1. Increased Productivity: Resource usage is maximised through precision farming, thereby attaining greater yields. In Karnataka, ‘Krishi Yantra Dhare’ facilitates small farmers in gaining access to the latest machinery​​
2. Improved Market Access: eNAM removes middlemen. Farmers of Uttar Pradesh saw an income growth of 20% through the usage of eNAM in 2022​​
3. Real-time Advisory: AI-based advisory services empower the right decision-making. Chili farmers in Telangana have used more AI, and their productivity now increased by 30%
4. Cost Reduction: Digital solutions like drones have reduced pesticide use by 20% in the states of Maharashtra and Haryana. As a result, they are saving input costs while simultaneously enhancing sustainability.
5. Access to Finance: These platforms provide access to credit and crop insurance through the AgriStack, which facilitates easier financial support for farmers.AgriStack-based insurance has so far helped 1 million farmers in Maharashtra​.
6. Livestock Diversification: E-platforms enable farmers to identify alternative crops for sowing and the corresponding farming techniques. Consequently, observers noted these benefits in the agroforestry projects in Tamil Nadu, particularly in areas where local farmers effectively implemented digital advisory systems
   

Challenges in India

1. Digital Divide: Weak internet connectivity acts as a hinder. States like Jharkhand, where only 25% of rural areas have internet, digital tools are under-utilised​
2. High Costs: Technologies like drones and AI can often be too expensive for small farmers. Less than 10% of small holders in Madhya Pradesh could afford precision farming equipment​
3. Land Holding Fragmentation: India has many small and fragmented pieces of land that cannot join other modern technology, including GPS, because its mean holding in Uttar Pradesh is less than 1 hectare​
4. Digital ILLiteracy: In most rural regions, the people are not digitally literate; therefore, the probability of missing the chance for using technology is more. As per the report of 2023, only 30% of the farmers in the rural area used smartphones for agricultural purposes​
5. Generic Advice: E-technology platforms generally provide generic advice that is not specifically applicable to the crops grown or region-specific climates. For example, farmers in Himachal Pradesh, where hilly conditions prevail, have found it particularly challenging to adapt these tools to such unique environments. .
6. DATA PRIVACY ISSUES IN DIGITAL AGRICULTURE:While digital agriculture platforms offer valuable services, concerns have arisen regarding the misuse of the voluminous data they collect, particularly when it comes to sensitive personal and land ownership details.

Government Initiatives

1. eNAM: Started in 2016, eNAM has connected over 1,000 mandis across India, making transparent trade possible and reducing the middleman​
2. Digital Agriculture Mission (2021-2025): This mission integrates AI, blockchain, and drone technology into farming with a major success in Karnataka-where drones improved rice yield predictions by 15%​
3. AgriStack: A digital platform that integrates all agri-services, from credit access to insurance. In Maharashtra, AgriStack ​brought insurance benefits to 1 million farmers
4. Kisan Credit Card Scheme: Govt widened KCC coverage to small farmers in 2023, empowered over 2.5 crore with low-cost credit​
   

Way Forward

1. Accessible Technology: The cost of digital tools needs to be brought down. Rajasthan’s drone service is a shared model, allowing the small farmers access to drone technology at affordable rates
2. Digital Literacy Skills: Training programs like ‘Digital Village’ in Madhya Pradesh, which provided around 50,000 farmers with basic digital skills, need to be replicated across the country ​
3. Public-Private Partnerships: Partnering with private agencies such as Reliance’s Jio Agri platform, which was launched in Maharashtra, would hasten the pace of embracing digital agriculture​
4. Policy Support: More 5G equipment in rural areas would be supplemented internet access to e-agriculture. Subsidies on digital equipment and further development of rural infrastructure need to be continued

Conclusion

E-technology has a massive potential for transforming Indian agriculture, with its main inputs in terms of productivity, sustainability, and access to markets. Getting all these people and systems together will entail cohesive effort among the government, private players, and NGOs to overcome the existing challenges and bring about benefits to the farmers from all over India.