India’s AI Outlook 2026: Accelerating innovation in agriculture and adjacent sectors
India’s use of artificial intelligence in agriculture is entering an important phase of maturity. In 2026, the focus is expected to move beyond pilots and isolated experimentation toward questions of integration, reliability, and scale. This shift is less about dramatic technological breakthroughs and more about how digital tools are absorbed into the everyday functioning of […]
Centre launches e-bill platform to process ₹2 lakh crore fertiliser subsidies
Union Fertilizers Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Thursday inaugurated an integrated e-bill system that will enable the government to process fertilizer subsidies worth approximately Rs 2 lakh crore. The system marks a shift from manual, paper-based processes to a fully digital workflow, eliminating the physical movement of bills, an official statement said. “This online system […]
Emergence of El Nino during monsoon season may affect rainfall
There is a global consensus that El Nino is likely to emerge during July-August-September period, but it is too early to make a definitive conclusion right now, said India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday. It also predicted below normal rainfall in next three months (January-March) in most parts of north-western India, which is irrigated by […]
Rabi crop area sees marginal rise; wheat sowing remains flat: Govt data
Wheat sowing remained flat at 32.26 million hectares in the ongoing 2024-25 rabi season, while area under pulses and oilseeds rose marginally from a year earlier, agriculture ministry data showed. Wheat, the main rabi or winter crop, was sown in 32.24 million hectares a year ago. The total wheat area stood at 32.8 million hectares […]
2025: When rural optimism rose but farm returns stayed under pressure
India’s rural economy, which showed signs of revival in 2025 owing to a good monsoon before being hit by a sharp dip in crop prices, appears to have found support from the reduction in goods and services tax (GST). The tax cuts have lowered prices of several categories of major agricultural equipment, boosting sales. They […]
Deep dive. Long way to go for ICAR to deliver results to farmers from gene edited varieties
Recently, a controversy broke out regarding allowing the commercial cultivation of six wheat varieties in Punjab because they require more fertilisers than other varieties. Scientists developed these varieties with a tad longer growing periods—about two additional weeks—allowing for greater irrigation and fertilizer use to boost yields. But the approach may offer only a short-term fix […]
Storage in all 5 Indian regions drops below 90%
With the water level decreasing in all five regions of the country below 90 per cent, the storage in the major 166 Indian reservoirs dropped to 80 per cent of the capacity this week. This is the seventh week in a row that the storage has declined. Data from the Centra (CWC) showed that the […]
How India’s smallholder farmers are driving climate resilience
Every year on December 23, India honours its farmers on Kisan Diwas, marking the birth anniversary of Chaudhary Charan Singh, the fifth Prime Minister and a lifelong advocate for farmers’ rights. This year’s 25th Kisan Diwas was more than a tribute – it’s a celebration of India’s smallholder farmers who have successfully made India the […]
Maharashtra to bring 25 lakh hectares under natural farming: Fadnavis
The Maharashtra government has decided to intensify the Mission on Natural Farming to enhance agricultural productivity, improve quality, and protect soil health, with a target of bringing 25 lakh hectares of land under natural farming over the next two years, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said. Addressing an event at the Laxminarayan Institute of Technology (LIT) […]
India’s rice stocks surge to record high as paddy procurement climbs
India’s rice inventories in government warehouses climbed nearly 12% from a year earlier to a record high for early December after state-run agencies stepped up procurement of the new-season paddy crop, government data showed. The swelling stockpiles could allow the world’s biggest rice exporter to boost shipments, putting pressure on supplies from rivals such as Thailand, […]