India’s agricultural economy is often described as data-rich and reform-heavy.
While India has invested in agricultural support systems for several decades through expanded irrigation networks, price support mechanisms and periodic risk-mitigation measures, the impact was often uneven and episodic. Over the past decade or so, however, the policy approach has shifted decisively towards building system-wide resilience. Emphasis on digital advisory platforms has improved the reach and timeliness of farm-level information, while sustained investments in irrigation and wider crop insurance coverage have strengthened farmers’ ability to manage climatic and market shocks.
Access to finance has also deepened. Institutional agricultural credit has nearly tripled to ₹25.48 lakh crore, with 70 per cent of farm households now relying on formal sources such as banks and cooperatives. Crop insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) has scaled to 56.8 crore farmer applications over eight years, with enrollments growing 27 per cent in FY24 and coverage extending across more than 50 crops.
