New Delhi: Primus Partners has released a comprehensive policy report, “6 Policy Interventions Needed for the Cognitive Revolution in Agriculture,” outlining a strategic roadmap to accelerate the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across India’s agricultural ecosystem and ensure that emerging technologies translate into tangible outcomes for farmers.

The report argues that Indian agriculture is entering a new phase of transformation, one driven not by additional physical inputs, but by intelligence-led decision making. While initiatives such as the IndiaAI Mission, Digital Agriculture Mission and AgriStack have laid the foundation for a data-rich agricultural ecosystem, the report identifies an emerging “Crisis of Intelligence” where vast amounts of agricultural data are yet to be converted into actionable insights at the farm level.

Developed by Primus Partners’ Agriculture Practice, the report examines how AI can improve decision-making across crop planning, advisory services, procurement systems, quality assessment, logistics and market access. It also highlights critical structural challenges that continue to limit adoption, including fragmented datasets, limited digital inclusion, underrepresentation of women farmers in digital systems, and the absence of trusted validation mechanisms for AI-based agricultural advisories.

Drawing upon consultations with senior policymakers, researchers, agricultural experts and field practitioners, the report proposes six policy interventions aimed at building trust, inclusivity and accountability into India’s agricultural AI ecosystem. These include the creation of an Indigenous Digital Agricultural Knowledge Registry, an Agri-AI Rating System for advisory tools, a framework for assessing women’s inclusion in agricultural AI systems, enhanced representation of women in agricultural AI governance, women-friendly agritech procurement standards, and AI-enabled quality-linked MSP mechanisms.

The report also highlights successful AI-led agricultural interventions across India and globally, including Maharashtra’s MahaAgri-AI Policy, Telangana’s Saagu Baagu initiative, Andhra Pradesh’s AI-enabled agriculture platforms, and international examples from the Netherlands, Japan, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Commenting on the findings, Ramakrishnan M. , Managing Director, Agriculture & Climate Practice, Primus Partners, said: “Indian agriculture presents a unique opportunity for AI-led transformation. However, the effectiveness of such systems depends on the quality, diversity and contextual relevance of the underlying datasets. A large share of farming decisions continues to be shaped by local experience, indigenous practices and farmer knowledge that remain outside formal data systems. The next phase of agricultural transformation must focus on combining this ground-level intelligence with emerging technologies to build trusted, practical and farmer-centric solutions. If designed inclusively and deployed responsibly, AI can become a powerful enabler of productivity, resilience and income enhancement for millions of farmers across the country.”

Mr. Vikas Chandra Rastogi, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra, added: “As Indian agriculture faces increasing climate uncertainties, resource pressures, and changing market dynamics, the next phase of transformation must be driven by intelligence-led decision-making. Artificial Intelligence offers significant potential to improve productivity, resilience, and farmer outcomes through data-driven interventions across the agricultural value chain. Maharashtra has taken early steps in this direction through initiatives such as the MahaAgri-AI Policy, focusing on farmer-centric and digitally enabled solutions. However, the success of this transition will depend on building trusted, inclusive, and scalable systems that translate technology into meaningful impact at the grassroots level through collaborative efforts across stakeholders.”

The report notes that women account for nearly 40-45 percent of India’s agricultural workforce but continue to face barriers in accessing digital services and AI-enabled platforms. It argues that future agricultural technologies must be designed with inclusivity at their core to prevent existing inequalities from being replicated within emerging digital ecosystems.

As India advances towards its vision of Viksit Bharat, the report emphasises that the success of AI in agriculture will depend not only on technology adoption but also on governance frameworks, institutional capacity, farmer trust and policy innovation. Primus Partners believes that timely policy interventions can help ensure that AI becomes a catalyst for sustainable agricultural growth, climate resilience and enhanced farmer prosperity.