During the presentation of the Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a major artificial intelligence-driven initiative titled Bharat VISTAAR to strengthen India’s agricultural sector. The government aims to boost farm productivity and work towards increasing farmers’ income through this ambitious digital platform. In her budget speech, Sitharaman placed strong emphasis on the integration of technology and artificial intelligence across all sectors, with agriculture emerging as a key focus area. The move highlights the Centre’s intent to modernise farming practices by using advanced digital solutions to support farmers in making data-driven and timely decisions.
Bharat VISTAAR, which stands for Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources, is an AI-based public digital infrastructure developed specifically for farmers. The platform will be multilingual, enabling farmers to access crop-related information in their own language. It will provide details on government welfare schemes, crop productivity, and potential agricultural risks. By consolidating critical information in one system, the tool is expected to help farmers better understand market conditions, plan cultivation strategies, and improve overall efficiency in agricultural operations.
Alongside Bharat VISTAAR, the government has also introduced the Krishi Saathi AI chatbot to offer direct assistance to farmers. This voice-enabled chatbot will function as a unified support system, allowing farmers to raise queries and seek solutions through voice interaction. Through the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the AI tool will also offer testing-related insights and expert guidance on crop cultivation. Pilot testing for the system is currently underway, with the aim of helping farmers make informed decisions about future crop planning and farming practices.