Why in News?

  • The Government highlighted the achievements and expanding reach of the Kisan Sarathi Platform, India's largest integrated digital agro-advisory platform.
  • As of June 2026, the platform has registered 2.95 crore farmers and is providing agricultural advisory services across 36 States/UTs, 768 districts, and 6.63 lakh villages.

WHAT IS KISAN SARATHI?

About
  • Kisan Sarathi is a national digital agricultural advisory platform launched in July 2021.
  • It provides timely, authentic, multilingual, and location-specific advisories to farmers.
  • It serves as a one-stop platform for agricultural information, expert consultation, government schemes, weather updates, and market intelligence.
Developed By
  • Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
  • Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
Implemented By
  • Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute
  • Digital India Corporation

OBJECTIVES OF KISAN SARATHI

Digital Agricultural Extension
  • Deliver scientific agricultural knowledge directly to farmers.
Farmer Empowerment
  • Enable informed decision-making through real-time information.
Technology Integration
  • Create a unified digital ecosystem for agricultural services.
Lab-to-Land Transfer
  • Facilitate the transfer of research findings and technologies from institutions to farmers.

TECHNOLOGY BACKBONE: INTERACTIVE INFORMATION DISSEMINATION SYSTEM (IIDS)

About IIDS
  • Kisan Sarathi is powered by the Interactive Information Dissemination System (IIDS).
  • It enables two-way communication between farmers and agricultural experts.
Communication Modes
  • Voice calls.
  • Video calls.
  • Text messages.
  • Image sharing.
  • Video exchange through chat.

KEY FUNCTIONS

  • Personalized advisories.
  • Service subscriptions.
  • Modification of subscriptions.
  • Access to farmer interaction history.
  • Tailored recommendations.

KNOW YOUR FARMER APPROACH

Features
  • Maintains farmer profiles and interaction history.
  • Helps experts understand local conditions and farmer needs.
  • Improves the accuracy and relevance of advisories.

INSTITUTIONAL NETWORK CONNECTED TO KISAN SARATHI

Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)
  • More than 730 KVKs connected to the platform.
ICAR Institutions
  • Over 100 ICAR institutes
  • Network of 4,767 ICAR scientists.
  • Support from 113 ICAR institutions.
Agricultural Universities
  • More than 65 agricultural universities

INTEGRATION WITH NATIONAL DIGITAL PLATFORMS

Kisan Call Centre
  • Direct telephonic support for farmers.
Common Service Centres
  • Digital access points in rural areas.
India Meteorological Department
  • Weather forecasts and climate advisories.
MyScheme Portal
  • Access to government welfare schemes.

BHASHINI

  • Multilingual communication and translation support.
ACCESS CHANNELS FOR FARMERS Farmers can access Kisan Sarathi through:
  • Kisan Call Centres.
  • Common Service Centres (CSCs).
  • Web Portal.
  • Mobile Application.
Significance
  • Ensures inclusion despite differences in internet access and digital literacy.

MAJOR SERVICES OFFERED

Agricultural Advisory
  • Region-specific and crop-specific recommendations.
  • Real-time expert guidance.
Weather Information
  • Timely weather forecasts and alerts.
Market Intelligence
  • District-wise mandi prices.
  • Market trends for major crops.
Government Schemes
  • Information on eligible schemes.
  • Status tracking of benefits.

SCHEME COVERAGE

Scheme Coverage
  • Total schemes available: 610
  • Central government schemes: 102
Expert Consultation
  • Direct interaction with KVK experts.
  • Advisory services in local languages.
Training and Capacity Building
  • Online training sessions.
  • Video consultations and demonstrations.

COVERAGE OF AGRICULTURAL SECTORS

Crop Sector Advisories cover:
  • Cereals.
  • Pulses.
  • Oilseeds.
  • Horticulture crops.
  • Plantation crops.
  • Fodder crops.
Allied Sectors
  • Livestock.
  • Poultry
  • Fisheries.
  • Allied agricultural activities.

KEY FEATURES OF KISAN SARATHI

Personalized Advisory
  • Based on farmer profile and farm characteristics.
Multilingual Support
  • Live interaction in 13 regional languages.
Push Notifications
  • Location-specific alerts and advisories.
Knowledge Database
  • Access to scientific agricultural information.
Easy Registration
  • Registration through toll-free numbers and online platforms.
Call and Conferencing Facilities
  • Direct communication with experts.

ACHIEVEMENTS & REACH

Geographical Coverage
  • 36 States and Union Territories.
  • 768 districts.
  • 6.63 lakh villages.
Farmer Registration
  • 2.95 crore registered farmers.
  • 56.16 lakh women beneficiaries.
Registration Channels
  • 2.89 crore through KVKs.
  • 5.35 lakh through Kisan Call Centres.
  • 39,193 through CSCs.
  • 21,517 through mobile applications.
  • 2,416 through the web portal.
Service Delivery
  • 21 lakh farmer queries addressed.
  • 21,900 advisories
  • Coverage of 351 commodities across 34 States/UTs.

BENEFITS FOR AGRICULTURAL STAKEHOLDERS

For Farmers
  • Easy access to reliable and localized information.
  • Better farm-level decision-making.
  • Improved productivity and income opportunities.
For ICAR Institutions and Universities
  • Wider dissemination of research findings.
  • Better outreach to farming communities.
For KVKs and Experts
  • Faster and more efficient advisory delivery.
  • Improved technology transfer from laboratory to field.
For Policymakers
  • Access to real-time field data and analytics.
  • Better evidence-based policy formulation.

CHALLENGES

Digital Divide
  • Variations in internet access and digital literacy.
Awareness Gaps
  • Many farmers remain unaware of digital advisory services.
Language and Regional Diversity
  • Need for continuous expansion of localized content.
Infrastructure Constraints
  • Connectivity issues in remote and tribal areas.