Shivraj Singh Chouhan to Launch ‘Bharat-VISTAAR’, AI Digital Companion for Farmers, in Jaipur

In a landmark step towards building an AI-enabled, farmer-first digital agriculture ecosystem, Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan will visit Rajasthan on February 17, where he will formally launch 'Bharat-VISTAAR', a new AI-powered digital companion designed to serve farmers across the country.

The national launch will take place at 10:00 AM at the State Institute of Agricultural Management, Durgapura, Jaipur, with virtual participation from lakhs of farmers through networks of ICAR, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), agricultural universities and state agriculture departments.

Bharat-VISTAAR: One Platform for Every Farmer Need

Developed under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Bharat-VISTAAR is envisioned as a single digital gateway that will provide farmers with verified, real-time information on:

• Weather forecasts

• Market prices

• Pest and disease alerts

• Soil and crop advisory

• Livestock guidance

• Government schemes, applications and benefit tracking

• Complaint registration and resolution

Officials said the platform is designed to make Indian agriculture smarter, more responsive and more accessible, particularly for small and marginal farmers.

Voice-First AI: Accessible Even on Feature Phones

A key innovation of Bharat-VISTAAR is its Voice-First AI design, ensuring that farmers with even the simplest mobile phones can benefit.

Farmers will be able to access the platform through:

• Helpline number 155261

• Voice-enabled chatbot

• Web-based mobile interface

• Android app (to be launched soon)

The conversational AI assistant inside the system, named 'Bharati', will answer farmer queries in simple language through voice and text interaction.

Phase-1 Launch in Hindi and English, Expansion Underway

In its first phase, Bharat-VISTAAR will operate in Hindi and English, reaching lakhs of farmers in several states including:

• Maharashtra

• Bihar

• Gujarat

State-level AI integrations have also been linked, such as:

• Maharashtra's Vasudha (Marathi)

• Gujarat's AmulAI – Sarlaben (Gujarati)

• Bihar Krishi App ecosystem

Within the next six months, Bharat-VISTAAR is expected to expand into 11 Indian languages, including Tamil, Bengali, Assamese and Kannada.

Integrated with IMD, AgMarkNet, NPSS and Agri-Stack

For Phase-1, Bharat-VISTAAR has integrated major national digital agriculture datasets, including:

• Weather data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD)

• Market price updates from AgMarkNet

• Pest surveillance through the National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS)

• Farmer databases under Agri-Stack

• Scientific Packages of Practices from ICAR

• Soil Health Card–based advisory

This integration enables location-specific, scientifically grounded recommendations.

Digital Public Infrastructure for Agriculture

Officials described Bharat-VISTAAR as a new generation Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for agriculture — comparable to UPI in payments — operating on a plug-and-play model that can connect central, state, cooperative and market systems seamlessly.

The platform aims to reduce dependence on middlemen and eliminate the need for farmers to navigate multiple portals or offices for scheme information and services.

Launch Ceremony with Rajasthan Leadership

The Jaipur launch will be attended by senior national and state leadership, including:

• Rajasthan Chief Minister Shri Bhajan Lal Sharma

• Union MoS Agriculture Shri Bhagirath Choudhary

• Union MoS Shri Ram Nath Thakur

• Rajasthan Agriculture Minister Shri Kirodi Lal Meena

• Agriculture Secretary Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi

• MPs, MLAs and senior officials

AI Roadmap, Hackathon and AgriKosh to be Announced

Alongside Bharat-VISTAAR, the Union Agriculture Minister will also launch:

• AI for Agriculture Roadmap

• Announcement of a national AI Hackathon

• Launch of AgriKosh, a digital agriculture knowledge repository

These initiatives are expected to accelerate AI innovation and entrepreneurship in India's farm sector.

Toward a Digital Agriculture Advisor for Every Farmer

With over 1.4 billion citizens dependent directly or indirectly on agriculture, Bharat-VISTAAR represents a major national effort to provide farmers with a trusted, always-available digital advisor — delivering weather alerts, market intelligence, scheme access and scientific guidance through one unified platform.

The launch marks a new milestone in India's journey toward AI-powered, inclusive and farmer-centric governance.