India's Digital Dream for Farmers: 4.85 Crore IDs and Beyond

The Government of India's ambitious initiative to digitalize agriculture by establishing distinct digital identities for 110 million farmers is running severely behind schedule. Rolled out in September 2024 under the AgriStack program, the scheme had the goal of providing 60 million Farmer IDs in the first year. But till March 2025, only 48.5 million IDs have been created, which is short of the target.

 

These online IDs, associated with farmers' land holdings, are intended to make access to government subsidies, crop insurance, and benefits easier and bring state and central online systems together. Implementation front-runners have been big states such as Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, but there are still issues. Tenant farmers, who account for 35-40% of India's agricultural population, have not yet been covered by the registry.

 

Parliament expressed doubts regarding the program's sustainability owing to the challenges of digital literacy, rural internet access, and jurisdictional intricacies. The Agriculture Ministry has requested additional funding and extension of Special Central Assistance for FY 2025-26 to overcome these obstacles.

 

While India fast-tracks its effort towards a countrywide digital crop survey by the following Kharif season, the government is facing increasing pressure to accomplish its target of complete implementation by the year 2027.

 

Source: Financial Express