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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India’s ambition of becoming a developed nation by 2047 cannot be achieved without transforming agriculture, adopting modern technology and improving farmers’ incomes. Addressing the India Today Group’s Kisan Tak Bharat Agriculture Conference 2026, he stressed that increasing foodgrain production alone is no longer enough and called for a shift towards smarter, more profitable and technology-driven farming.

Modi, addressing a two-day conference, ‘Smart Kisan for Viksit Bharat', said agriculture should be dynamic and adaptable to the changing markets, food habits, weather and technology.

The Prime Minister recalled the Green Revolution of the 1960s which was seen as a way for India to become food self-sufficient after years of import dependence.

Production alone is not sufficient, Modi added, agricultural policies should also address farmers' income.

The issue of crop diversification was also a key subject of discussion at the conference. Agricultural experts have highlighted that India's agricultural production is skewed, with surplus rice production and a lack of self-sufficiency in pulses production.

Modi urged them that to turn farmers into ‘agripreneurs’ and enable them to process their agriculture, value add and gain better access to export markets. “Whatever equipment you manufacture from now on, make it solar-powered, because we are going to take solar power to every field,” he said.

The government was doing its best to ensure agricultural produce could be processed and value added nearer to the place where they were grown, he said.

The Prime Minister also spoke about the 10,000 small farmers under the small farmers network, through Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), who were brought together to link with food-processing units and markets.

Work was progressing to connect with small farmers with outside export markets, he said.

PM urges use of solar-powered farm equipment

Highlighting the need for technology to play a vital role in contemporary farming, Modi encouraged the creation of solar-powered equipment for farmers by equipment manufacturers, startups, MSMEs, and small-scale industries.

From now on, everything they produce means solar-powered, he said that they are going to make solar power available in every field.

He further advocated for the adoption of more engineering and technological innovations to improve efficiency and accessibility of farming.

The prime Minister cited the Namo Drone Didi initiative as an example of how technology can create new opportunities and recognition for women in rural areas.

The Namo Drone Didi programme is a good example of how technology can provide new opportunities and recognition for women in rural areas, the Prime Minister said.

The women are being trained to use drones for agricultural purposes, such as spraying fertilizers and pesticides.

Earlier, Modi had interacted with a Jharkhand girl who is part of the programme, and said that she told him people in her village had begun calling her ‘pilot’. Even her own brothers-in-law called her ‘Pilot Bhabhi’, he added.

AI tools for better decision making for farmers

At the same time, Modi spoke about the implementation of sensor-based artificial Intelligence to create low cost tools to deliver accurate agri-information to farmers.

He explained a mechanism wherein farmers can send a small sample of soil, while using a mobile phone, and get info about what crops to grow and how much and what kind of fertiliser to apply.

He said the technology was being worked on to be available to all sizes of croppers.

Productivity and profits have both equal importance

The Prime Minister said that the government's agricultural policy was not only about production, but production efficiency and profitability of farmers as well.

Some 2,000 farmers, policy makers and industry participants attended the conference to share ideas on modernizing agriculture, diversifying crops and enhancing rural livelihoods.

Modi's speech highlighted the importance of adopting innovative approaches to agriculture and integrating technology, entrepreneurship, and improved market access into the nation's agricultural strategy for 2047.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susmita Modak

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Always love to raise the unraised matter. In a world of worries, I am always ready to come over my comfort zone and taking the step ahead of spreading awareness.

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