Key Indian Government Schemes and Programmes for Farmers and Innovation
Agriculture forms the backbone of the Indian rural economy, supporting over half of the national workforce. To address structural challenges like low productivity, post-harvest losses, climate vulnerabilities, and fragmented market access, the Government of India executes multi-pronged intervention programs. Modern agricultural schemes focus on income security, technological innovation, sustainable farming practices, and market integration. These schemes aim to modernize the farm sector, encourage agri-entrepreneurship, and boost capital formation in rural markets.
Umbrella Framework for Agricultural Interventions
Rationalization of Central Agricultural Schemes
The Central Government restructured all Centrally Sponsored Schemes under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare into two main umbrella framework schemes. This restructuring grants operational flexibility to state governments to design tailored annual action plans.
- Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY): Focuses on sustainable agriculture, farm mechanization, soil health, rainfed area development, and agri-startups.
- Krishonnati Yojana (KY): Focuses on national food security, agricultural self-sufficiency, seed development, and agricultural extension.
- Combined total proposed financial outlay stands at ₹1,01,321.61 crore.
- Central share stands at ₹69,088.98 crore, while state share accounts for ₹32,232.63 crore.
Major Income Security and Direct Support Schemes
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)
PM-KISAN operates as a Central Sector Scheme providing direct income support to landholding farmer families across India.
- Provides ₹6,000 annually per landholding family, disbursed in three equal installments of ₹2,000 every four months.
- Funds transfer directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) using Aadhaar-seeded accounts.
- Serves over 11 crore farmer families, covering small, marginal, and large landholders except institutional landholders and higher-income taxpaying categories.
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)
PMFBY serves as the flagship crop insurance scheme protecting farmers against non-preventable natural risks from pre-sowing to post-harvest stages.
- Standardized farmer premium rates capped at 2% for Kharif crops, 1.5% for Rabi crops, and 5% for commercial and horticultural crops.
- Remaining premium subsidy shared 50:50 between the Centre and States (90:10 ratio for North Eastern States).
- Employs remote sensing, satellite imagery, smart testing kits, and the CROPIC app for rapid crop loss assessment and claims settlement.
Capital Infrastructure and Technology Support Frameworks
Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
AIF provides long-term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets.
- Total financial size of ₹1,01,000 crore extending up to FY 2032-33.
- Offers 3% interest subvention per annum on loans up to ₹2 crore for a maximum duration of 7 years.
- Provides credit guarantee coverage under the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) for loans up to ₹2 crore.
| Scheme / Program | Funding Type / Pattern | Primary Focus / Objective | Target Beneficiaries |
| PM-KISAN | Central Sector (100% Central) | Supplemental Direct Income Support | Landholding Farmer Families |
| PMFBY | Centrally Sponsored (50:50 / 90:10) | Comprehensive Crop Loss Insurance Coverage | All Farmers growing notified crops |
| AIF | Central Financing Scheme | Post-Harvest & Cold Chain Infrastructure | Agri-entrepreneurs, FPOs, PACS, Startups |
| NMEO-Oilseeds | Centrally Sponsored | Boosting domestic edible oilseed production | Oilseed farmers, SHGs, Seed hubs |
| PM-KUSUM | Central & State Shared | Solarization of irrigation pumps & grid power | Individual Farmers, Panchayats, Cooperatives |
Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) & Drone Promotion
SMAM promotes farm mechanization among small and marginal farmers by establishing Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) and Hi-Tech Hubs.
- Financial assistance provided up to 40-50% for purchasing agricultural machinery.
- Grants up to 100% (or ₹10 lakh) provided to ICAR institutes, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), and State Agriculture Universities to purchase agricultural drones for demonstrations.
- Farmers’ Producer Organizations (FPOs) receive 75% financial assistance for agricultural drone procurement.
- NAMO Drone Didi Scheme: Targets equipping 15,000 Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) with drones for rental services to farmers for crop monitoring, liquid fertilizer application, and pesticide spraying.
Innovation, Organic Farming, and Special Missions
Agri-Startups and RKVY Accelerator Fund
Promotes innovation and agri-entrepreneurship through financial and incubation handholding under the RKVY Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Cell.
- Idea to Prototype Stage (Pre-Seed Fund): Financial support up to ₹5 lakh provided to early-stage agri-startups.
- Seed Stage Financial Assistance: Funding up to ₹25 lakh provided to commercial-stage agricultural startups.
- Incubators like IARI-Pusa, MANAGE Hyderabad, and various IITs/IIMs serve as knowledge partners for technical guidance.
Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
PKVY acts as an important component under PM-RKVY promoting cluster-based organic farming.
- Provides ₹50,000 per hectare support over three years, with ₹31,000 transferred directly to farmers for organic inputs.
- Promotes Participatory Guarantee System (PGS-India) certification to make organic certification accessible and affordable for local markets.
- Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER): Specialized mission to develop certified organic value chains linking NE growers to international markets.
National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds)
Approved to run from FY 2024-25 to FY 2030-31 with an outlay of ₹10,103 crore to boost domestic primary oilseed production.
- Targets raising primary oilseed production from 39 million tonnes to 69.7 million tonnes by 2030-31.
- Focuses on primary oilseeds like Rapeseed-Mustard, Groundnut, Soybean, Sunflower, and Sesame alongside secondary sources like Cottonseed and Rice Bran.
- Establishes 65 plus high-yield seed hubs and 50 plus seed storage clusters across potential districts.
Essential Facts and Technical Data for Revision
- PM-KISAN was launched in February 2019, with retrospective effect from December 1, 2018.
- PM-RKVY allocation includes ₹57,074.72 crore for sustainable agriculture components including soil health management, rainfed area development, and agroforestry.
- Krishonnati Yojana carries an allocation of ₹44,246.89 crore focusing on seed, plant protection, extension, and price stabilization programs.
- e-NAM (Electronic National Agriculture Market) integrates over 1,360 wholesale mandis across 23 States and 4 UTs to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities.
- PM-KUSUM Component-A enables farmers to set up ground-mounted solar power plants up to 2 MW capacity on barren or uncultivable land.
- Soil Health Card Scheme provides periodic recommendations on 12 vital soil parameters (NPK, Secondary Nutrients, and Micronutrients) every 3 years.
- AgriStack forms the digital foundation of Indian agriculture, providing unique Farmer IDs, Geo-referenced soil plots, and crop survey registries.
