India's agricultural transformation is being driven by digital innovation, inclusive finance, and structural reforms. Initiatives like the Digital Agriculture Mission and Agristack are expanding crop intelligence and enabling data-driven decision-making. Technology is being leveraged to increase yields without raising input costs, while AI tools are helping small and marginal farmers manage risks and improve profitability. AI can help in all stages of farming right from predictive analysis of weather/soil to irrigation management and crop health monitoring to dissemination of information and packaging and storage of commodities.
MahaAgri‑AI Policy 2025–2029 approved by the Maharashtra Cabinet in June 2025, is truly a game changer for the agricultural sector due to its bold, technology-driven vision and actionable roadmap. It is India’s first dedicated artificial intelligence policy for agriculture, setting a benchmark for other states and the nation. This is India’s first comprehensive AI policy focused exclusively on agriculture.
Key Goals and Vision:
- Make Maharashtra a national and global leader in AI-enabled, farmer-centric, and sustainable agriculture.
- Address challenges like low productivity, climate risks, water scarcity, market inefficiency, and lack of real-time decision support.
Major Features
- AI Integration Across the Value Chain: Adoption of AI, GenAI, drones, IoT, remote sensing, and data platforms for precision farming, crop and soil monitoring, water management, and market access.
- Digital Public Infrastructure: Launch of Agricultural Data Exchange (ADeX) for secure data sharing, an AI Sandbox for startups, and a Geospatial Intelligence Engine for climate/crop monitoring.
- Real-Time Advisory Platforms: AI-powered Multilingual “VISTAAR” platform for personalized farmer advisories, integrated with Agristack, Bhashini, and national digital assets.
- Blockchain Traceability: QR code-based blockchain systems for export crops (e.g., grapes, bananas, pomegranates) to improve food safety and trace exports.
- Support for Startups & PPPs: Grants, hackathons, open calls, and public-private partnerships to foster innovation and market-ready solutions.
- Farmer Digital Literacy: Training, fellowships, demo farms, and community outreach to ensure inclusive, confident adoption.
- Governance: Robust oversight with a State-Level Steering Committee, Technical Committee, and a dedicated AI & Agritech Innovation Centre.
Broader Impact:
- Supports national initiatives such as Agristack, Maha-Agritech, Mahavedh, CropSAPP, and Agmarknet.
- Designed to be inclusive, with special attention to reaching the last-mile farmer and ensuring ethical, responsible AI use.
Implementation Phases
- Phase I (0-3 months): Foundation and institutional setup
- Phase II (3-9 months): Pilot implementation and platform launch
- Phase III (9-12 months): Statewide scale-up
- Phase IV (12-36 months): Consolidation and policy evolution
Budget Allocation (₹500 Crore)
- Digital Infrastructure: ₹50 crore
- AI Projects Support: ₹350 crore
- Innovation Centre Setup: ₹30 crore
- Capacity Building: ₹50 crore
- Global Conference/Summit: ₹20 crore
This comprehensive framework positions Maharashtra as India's first state with a dedicated AI agriculture policy, creating a replicable model for digital transformation in farming. MahaAgri‑AI 2025–2029 is widely seen as a model for India and developing nations in harnessing AI for a sustainable agriculture future.