Bharat VISTAAR Launched: AI-Powered Helpline to Transform Farmer Advisory in India

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan today inaugurated the Artificial Intelligence-based 'Bharat VISTAAR' scheme in Jaipur, Rajasthan, marking a major step in India's push toward technology-driven farmer empowerment.

The launch event was attended by Rajasthan Chief Minister Shri Bhajanlal Sharma, senior agriculture officials, and state ministers from across the country through video conferencing. The Minister also unveiled a farmer-centric AI Hackathon and the Agri Kosh AI Strategy Roadmap, reinforcing the government's focus on innovation-led agricultural transformation.

A Single AI Platform for Every Farmer's Need

The Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare has launched Bharat VISTAAR to ensure that farmers receive instant, reliable and local-language agricultural information through a unified AI-powered system.

The scheme enables farmers to access guidance on:

• Crop practices and pest management

• Government schemes and benefits

• Soil health and fertiliser advice

• Weather-based farming inputs

• Insurance, loans and risk mitigation

• Market and mandi price discovery

Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that the central government's goal is to enhance farmers' production capacities and reduce uncertainty through digital public infrastructure.

Dial 155261: Instant Advisory in Local Languages

A key innovation of Bharat VISTAAR is its multilingual conversational AI helpline.

Farmers can simply dial 155261, describe their problem, and receive immediate solutions.

The helpline also provides real-time mandi prices from agricultural markets across India.

The service has been launched in Hindi and English, with expansion planned soon to 11 Indian languages, ensuring inclusive access for farmers across regions.

Farmer Identity Card to Integrate All Schemes

The Minister announced that Bharat VISTAAR will also create a Farmer Identity Card (Farmer ID) containing comprehensive farmer information.

Currently, schemes integrated include:

• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana

• Soil Health Card Scheme

In the future, the platform will connect the entire agricultural system, making all farmer-related schemes accessible through one digital interface.

AgriStack + ICAR + IMD + State Systems: A National AI Backbone

Bharat VISTAAR is designed as a flagship use case of India's AI-powered Digital Public Infrastructure for agriculture.

The platform integrates resources from:

• AgriStack

• ICAR advisory systems

• Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)

• Mandi price networks

• State agriculture databases

• Central government welfare schemes

This unified approach is expected to boost productivity while reducing risks through timely information and services.

AI Hackathon and Agri Kosh Roadmap Unveiled

Alongside the scheme launch, Shri Chouhan unveiled:

• A farmer-focused AI Hackathon, inviting innovators to solve real agricultural challenges

• The Agri Kosh AI Strategy Roadmap, outlining India's long-term vision for AI in farming

These initiatives signal a shift toward building an innovation ecosystem around farmers' needs.

Bhajanlal Sharma: Viksit Kisan Key to Viksit Bharat

Rajasthan Chief Minister Shri Bhajanlal Sharma emphasised that achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 requires empowered and prosperous farmers.

"Developed farmers (Viksit Kisan) are essential for a Developed India," he said, adding that AI-based agriculture advisory will help farmers become more self-reliant through instant mobile access to inputs like seeds, fertilisers, water and soil testing information.

Officials Call It a Historic Farmer-Centric Integration

Agriculture Secretary Shri Devesh Chaturvedi said Bharat VISTAAR is an effort to provide farmers with all critical information on a single platform rather than multiple fragmented systems.

ICAR Director General Dr. M. L. Jat described it as a "historic launch" that is fully farmer-centric and integrates Indian agriculture at a national scale.

Broader Participation

The event was attended by senior leaders including:

• Shri Bhagirath Choudhary, Union MoS (Agriculture)

• Smt. Manju Sharma, MP Jaipur

• Shri V. Srinivas, Chief Secretary Rajasthan

• Smt. Manju Rajpal, Principal Secretary Rajasthan

• Agriculture Ministers from multiple states via video link

Bharat VISTAAR: AI for Every Farmer, Anytime

With Bharat VISTAAR, India is deploying sovereign AI and digital public infrastructure to ensure that every farmer—regardless of location, language or literacy—can access trusted agricultural guidance instantly.

By combining advisory services, scheme integration, price intelligence and farmer identity systems, Bharat VISTAAR represents a new model of AI-enabled, inclusive, and farmer-first governance.