By: ICN Bureau
Last updated : December 02, 2025 10:32 am
From fragmented land parcels to farmer awareness gaps, experts deliberate on how AI, drones, and precision farming can unlock productivity
In the heart of India’s farmlands where tradition runs deep, a quiet transformation is beginning to take shape. Digital agriculture and precision farming are no longer just buzzwords from policy papers; they are slowly becoming tools of survival and opportunity for farmers who have long battled uncertainty, fragmented land, and rising input costs.
Industry leaders discussed the topic at the third session titled “Digital Agriculture, Precision Farming, and Farmer Education” of AgroChem Summit 2025 organised by the Indian Chemical News (ICN) on November 17, 2025, in New Delhi.
The session was moderated by Avinash Nayak, Partner, Chemicals Practice, Kearney India who shared an outlook: “Agriculture remains one of the largest sectors of our economy and a major source of employment in the country. As we prepare to feed a growing population, improving productivity is becoming essential. At the same time, resources and inputs are becoming increasingly constrained. Nearly 30% of our districts are water-stressed, and much of our soil lacks critical nutrients. In this context, leveraging digital technologies to enhance productivity and build resilience becomes even more important.”
Vanshika Nyati, Chief of Staff, PRYM Group, emphasized that while AI and IoT are transforming agriculture, their true impact depends on a crucial translation layer that helps farmers understand and experience their value.
“I want to highlight that even when advanced AI models are built, the most important element is the translation layer, helping farmers understand and experience the value of these technologies. I usually break this down into three ideas: precision, predictability and profitability. When it comes to precision, our work in drone manufacturing and drone-as-a-service has shown us how technology can provide micro-level insights that manual methods simply cannot. IoT devices capture data, AI models interpret it, and the intelligence that comes back is exactly the kind of decision-support a farmer needs. Traditionally, farmers have relied heavily on intuition and reactive practices, but technology now helps them act with far more accuracy.
Predictability is the next aspect. We are developing modules for pest and disease detection and weather forecasting so that farmers receive early alerts and can take timely action. In essence, IoT generates the data, AI turns it into meaningful intelligence, and that intelligence translates into timely interventions that improve sustainability and productivity. From our time on the ground, we have also realised that adoption depends heavily on training. Farmers don’t automatically know how to use these tools, so building a skilled workforce becomes crucial. This insight led us to launch our own skill schools offering vocational courses tailored to agriculture and drone operations,” said Nyati.
“We have also seen significant reverse migration, with many young people returning to farmlands and showing a strong willingness to adopt new technologies. Farmers today are much more aware and open than they are often given credit for. The real challenge is not awareness but capacity building, and structured training programs can transform that. If we combine better data with a skilled and confident workforce, I believe India won’t just adopt advanced agriculture, we can actually set global benchmarks for it,” Nyati added further.
Merin Mariya Abraham, Analyst, Agriculture Sustainability, S&P Global, highlighted that IoT sensors, drones, remote sensing, and modern irrigation systems are reshaping agriculture through three core pillars: precision farming, data-driven decision-making, and sustainability.
“These are the pillars on which the industry is currently advancing. Globally, countries like China and the US are already far ahead in adopting agricultural technologies, and India, too, is moving steadily in that direction. With the use of technology, we can now monitor farm conditions with far greater accuracy. For example, we can access real-time data on crop growth, pest pressure, irrigation needs, and overall field health. What previously required hours of manual labour can now be captured instantly. This allows us to respond quickly when a problem arises—whether it’s disease, pest infestation, or crop stress so that the damage can be minimized. Data-driven decision-making is equally important. Farmers today generate a tremendous amount of data, they are, in many ways, data rich. The real task for us as agri-tech leaders is to convert this raw data into actionable insights. Sustainability is the natural outcome of this approach. When we know exactly how much fertilizer, agrochemical, or water is needed at a particular farm or crop stage, input usage becomes precise and controlled. This reduces costs, minimizes wastage, and improves overall productivity. Technology essentially brings pinpoint accuracy to every drop of water applied, every kilogram of fertilizer used, and every spray of agrochemical administered,” said Abraham.
“The transition however, is not without challenges. It can be difficult initially to convince farmers to adopt these technologies because of high upfront costs or regulatory complexities, especially in the case of drones. However, while the short-term investments may seem high, the long-term benefits—in the context of climate change, unpredictable weather, and rising resource scarcity—make this shift essential. Integrating drones and digital tools allows us to capture granular, high-quality data that can drive long-term resilience,” Abraham added further.
Tajender Chawla, Global Head - Agroformulation Manufacturing, Agro Regulatory & IPR, Scimplify emphasized that modern agriculture is becoming deeply data-driven and stressed on need for outcome-based incentives to accelerate adoption.
“The drones, AI, and precision farming are benefiting farmers and agriculture today is increasingly driven by data. IoT devices help create datasets from the field, and AI then translates this data into meaningful intelligence. This intelligence guides farmers on the right usage of agrochemicals: which molecule to use, in what quantity, and at what stage of the crop cycle. On the application side, drones play a crucial role. Using AI, drones can map diseases, identify nutritional deficiencies in crops, and predict potential threats that may emerge in the coming days or weeks. This allows for precise application of nutrients, fertilizers, and agrochemicals. As a result, input costs are reduced, and the usage of crop protection products becomes more accurate and efficient. There are roughly 14 million farmers in India, but many of these technologies, especially drones, are still not easily accessible to small farmers, even with government subsidies. This is why it is important to encourage and support startups that can bridge this gap and bring IoT- and AI-based solutions to smallholders,” mentioned Chawla.
“Another important aspect is awareness and training. As Ajay mentioned earlier, we may provide advanced tools to the farmers, but many do not know how to use them effectively. Universities, KVKs, and government bodies are offering training programs, but the question is whether these programs are practical enough for farmers to truly understand and implement. For example, drone pilots require specialised skills. With proper training, these pilots can operate drones in their own villages and support local farmers. This is a crucial gap that needs to be addressed. Finally, outcome-based support systems can also drive adoption. Incentives like carbon credits or rewards for optimal fertilizer usage could motivate farmers to adopt precision practices. When farmers apply the right inputs in the right quantities based on their geographic conditions, they contribute to sustainability, and they should be supported for it,” added Chawla.
Harish Mehta, Senior Advisor, Crop Care Federation of India (CCFI), stressed that the notion of Indian farmers being unaware or resistant to new practices is outdated.
“The perception that farmers are unaware or uninterested in new practices is outdated. Today’s farmers are far more educated, receptive, and adaptive. Their rate of adopting agrochemicals and new technologies has been remarkably fast. I would also add that the government has been working very hard—alongside industry to enable this transition. Nearly 26 different schemes are currently in place, ranging from skill development and business enhancement to financial assistance for vulnerable farmers, beekeeping support, price support, and even dedicated policies for drones and nano-inputs. Many private companies, including those from our sector as part of CCFI, actively participate in these initiatives to ensure the government’s mission and objectives are implemented effectively on the ground. In every state, government officials, from state universities to agriculture departments work closely with stakeholders. And the private sector has also played an important role, not because of any additional incentive but because we believe in educating farmers and helping them access the schemes available to them.”
Reflecting on field experience, I want to share the practical challenges we faced during the locust attack a few years ago. For 78 consecutive days, all our member companies contributed agrochemicals to support the locust invasion control program. The challenges were real. First, there were hardly any charging points for drones; once a drone completed a sortie, it needed charging immediately, but the infrastructure simply wasn’t available. Second, the chemicals recommended for drone spraying were the same ones used for ground spraying, even though the application dynamics are very different. Drone spraying needs a different concentration and formulation, and this gap in guidelines created difficulties. Third, drones are expensive, around ten lakh rupees each, and heavy, making logistics in difficult terrains a challenge. These constraints also led to occasional overuse of chemicals by some operators who wanted to “ensure coverage.”
Ajay Kakra, Leader - Food & Agriculture, Government Infrastructure & Development Advisory Services, Forvis Mazars, emphasized that while digital agriculture is widely celebrated, the ground reality in India is far more complex.
“When we talk about digital agriculture, it often sounds like the whole world is excited about turning farming into a fully digital ecosystem. At the same time, in a country as vast and diverse as India, the challenges multiply quickly. Managing fragmentation, creating datasets, updating them, and enabling digital integration, is extremely difficult. To address this, the central government has already launched initiatives such as the Digital Agriculture Mission and the AgriStack framework. These are designed to integrate a wide range of data points: land records, crop patterns, sowing information, crop outputs, and even application of agrochemicals. But anyone who has worked at the ground level knows how challenging this truly is. Land ownership keeps changing, land gets divided among family members, cropping patterns shift, and regional variations make standardization difficult. Satellite-based surveys and digital tools reduce such anomalies. When farmers see fairness and transparency, they begin to trust digital systems. Another example is of helping farmers adopt regenerative practices and earn carbon credits. Once a farmer understands that 80% of the carbon credit revenue will come directly to him, adoption becomes easier. He sees a clear monetary benefit, along with improvements in soil health and yield. That is when applicability becomes real,” said Kakra.
“Training is another major challenge. India has farmer training schools, ICAR programs, state university initiatives, and KVKs—but these efforts are not integrated. Digital platforms can fill this gap. E-extension systems, interactive advisory apps, and remote sensing tools can make training and advisory services scalable. Ultimately, adoption comes down to economics. If something is economically viable, farmers will adopt it. If they see a clear benefit—whether it is improved yield, reduced input cost, or an additional revenue stream—they will embrace it willingly. The confidence to adopt does not come from technology alone; it comes from tangible outcomes. That is why collaboration between government, private sector, and digital innovators is so important,” added Kakra.
The AgroChem Summit 2025 themed ‘Driving Sustainability, Balancing Productivity’ was supported as Gold Partners by Humane World for Animals, Godrej Agrovet, Safex, and SML.
The industry association partners included BASAI, PMFAI, ACFI, CCFI, and Croplife India.