Bharat-VISTAAR: AI for Agricultural Transformation
- 04 Feb 2026
In News:
The Union budget 2026-27 has proposed ‘Bharat-VISTAAR’ (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources).
Key Features
- A key innovation is Bharat-VISTAAR is a multilingual AI-based advisory platform aimed at strengthening farm-level decision-making.
- Integrates AgriStack databases with scientific advisories from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
- Provides customised, real-time advisory on:
- Crop planning and packages of practices
- Pest and disease management
- Weather forecasts
- Market trends and price signals
- Government schemes, eligibility and grievance redressal
- Initially launched in Hindi and English, with gradual expansion to regional languages
- Budget Allocation: ?150 crore for 2026–27
Significance
|
Challenge in Agriculture |
How Bharat-VISTAAR Responds |
|
Information asymmetry |
Local-language AI advisories |
|
Climate uncertainty |
Weather-linked crop guidance |
|
Market volatility |
Real-time market intelligence |
|
Scheme awareness gaps |
Integrated scheme information |
The initiative marks a shift from generic extension services to data-driven, farmer-specific digital advisories, potentially improving productivity, incomes and risk resilience.