AI-Powered Agromet Advisory Transforms Climate-Smart Farming for India’s Smallholder Farmers -

In a landmark bid to bolster climate resilience for India’s smallholder farmers, ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi‑Arid Tropics), together with ICAR‑CRIDA and a consortium of premier research institutions, unveiled an innovative AI-powered, context-specific agrometeorological advisory service. It was officially launched at a two-day workshop in Hyderabad under the Government of India’s Monsoon Mission III framework.

What It Does

The initiative, named “AI-powered Context‑Specific Agromet Advisory Services for Climate‑Resilient Agriculture at Scale,” utilizes AI and machine learning to produce hyper-local, real-time, and personalized climate and crop guidance. Advisories are tailored based on variables such as crop type, soil condition, location, and socio‑economic profile of the farmer.

At its technological core lies iSAT (Intelligent Systems Advisory Tool), an upgraded platform from earlier pilots in Monsoon Mission II. iSAT integrates weather forecasts, crop models, and ML analytics to deliver timely recommendations on key decisions such as sowing dates, irrigation scheduling, pest and disease control, fertilization, and harvesting.

Delivery Channels

To ensure broad and inclusive outreach, advisories will be delivered through multiple channels:

An AI-powered WhatsApp bot, responsive in regional languages.
IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System), mobile apps, and village resource centres for last-mile access.

This multi-channel approach aims to bridge the digital divide and reach rural communities with limited literacy or internet access.

Pilot & Scaling Strategy

The pilot is set to roll out in Maharashtra, leveraging ICAR’s Agro‑Meteorological Field Units (AMFUs) to deliver advisories directly to smallholder farmers. Insights from this phase will guide national scaling and adaptations for similar climates across the Global South.

Long-term ambition includes integrating this platform into MausamGPT, a national initiative to democratize access to climate information and decision support tools for agriculture.

Why It Matters

Empowers over 120 million small and marginal farmers to make data-driven farming decisions that mitigate climate risk.
Enhances crop yield, water use efficiency, and resilience by aligning operations with local weather and soil conditions.
Bridges last‑mile advisory gaps by offering user‑friendly, multilingual delivery systems.

Collaborative Innovation Ecosystem

This initiative is backed by a powerful network of partners, including:

ICRISAT, ICAR‑CRIDA, ILRI, IITM, IMD, IIT Ropar’s AI Center, CSIO, IISc, and CGIAR support through AI4CRA.

It reflects an emerging model of collaboration uniting government, research institutes, and AI expertise to serve underserved rural communities.

The Bigger Picture

India is rapidly becoming a global leader in AI-driven agricultural innovation. Recent initiatives include:

Maharashtra’s MahaAgri‑AI Policy (2025–29): A ₹500 crore programme combining drone imagery, blockchain traceability, startup sandboxes, and multilingual advisory platforms like VISTAAR.
AP’s APAIMS 2.0: A pilot-ready system harnessing AI/ML, plot-level pest alerts, and e-market integration across Andhra Pradesh.
Cluster AI Farming in Vidarbha: Union minister-backed models where farmers’ groups are monitored via AI systems for soil, rainfall, and pest advice.

Challenges & Next Steps

Data calibration and validation: Accuracy in forecasts demands localized adaptation and iterative feedback loops.
Capacity building: Enhancing awareness and digital literacy among extension workers and farmers will be critical.
Sustainable scaling: Ensuring long-term funding, institutional support, and regional collaborations are essential for national and international adoption.

Conclusion

The launch of the AI‑powered agromet advisory service marks a milestone in India’s journey toward climate-resilient, data-driven agriculture. By delivering science-based, local insights directly to farmers, it underscores the transformative potential of AI when rooted in inclusive design and strong institutional synergy.

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