Devendra Fadnavis on Friday warned that agriculture is facing growing global challenges, with food systems under pressure from climate instability, declining water levels, poor soil health, fragile supply chains, and volatile markets. Speaking at the India AI Summit 2026, he stressed that agriculture is vital for countries in the Global South, serving not only as an economic activity but also as a foundation for livelihoods, social stability, and national security.

He said India recognises this importance and, under the leadership of Narendra Modi, has prioritised digital public infrastructure and responsible artificial intelligence as key pillars of national development. Fadnavis explained that the India AI Mission aims to promote inclusion, transparency, and scalability through technology, with agriculture playing a central role. Highlighting the scale of dependence on farming, he noted that more than 500 million Indians rely on agriculture directly or indirectly. However, small farmers continue to struggle with fragmented information, rising input costs, climate uncertainty, and limited access to credit and markets.

He added that traditional agricultural support systems are unable to keep pace with the growing demands of the sector. According to him, artificial intelligence can transform agriculture by offering hyperlocal weather forecasts, early pest detection, precision irrigation and fertiliser recommendations, crop-based credit assessment, transparent supply chains, and real-time market insights, helping farmers improve productivity and resilience.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.