Why in the news
NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub published Reimagining Agriculture: A Roadmap for Frontier Technology-Led Transformation, picturing a resilient, inclusive farm sector by 2047 through AI, IoT, drones, digital twins, agentic AI and bio-innovation.
Key facts
- Farming employs 45.8% of India’s workforce; 86% of holdings are under 1 hectare.
- Post-harvest losses exceed USD 18 billion yearly.
- Over 1,000 agritech start-ups are active.
| Pillar of Mission 2.0 | Aim |
|---|
| Foundational Systems | Unified data ecosystem, last-mile digital services |
| Agri-Innovation and Talent | Mission-mode R&D and skilling |
| Institutional Convergence | Align industry, policy and scalable solutions |
| Farmer type | Share |
|---|
| Aspiring | 70-80% |
| Transitioning | 15-20% |
| Advanced | 1-2% |
Opportunities
- AI advisories for weather, pests and yield.
- CRISPR and biofortified climate-resilient seeds.
- Drones, IoT and digital twins; blockchain traceability.
Concerns and recommendations
- Concerns: data silos, low digital literacy, connectivity divide, talent gaps, funding limits.
- Recommends Mission 2.0 with a 360° AI data ecosystem, translational R&D, skilling, centres of excellence and AI-based credit and insurance.
Exam angle
- Body: NITI Aayog; target year 2047.