Emphasis on farm mechanisation to increase agricultural productivity in India

To increase agricultural productivity in India, emphasis is being placed on moving beyond traditional tractors towards farm mechanisation and the use of new technology. According to an 'India Today' report, during a session on revolutionising the agricultural sector through new tools, Harsh Rai, CEO of Mahindra Group's Farm Division, stated that modern machinery can transform rural productivity.

Agriculture's contribution to India's GDP is 17 to 18 per cent and it provides employment to approximately 45 per cent of the workforce. Rai stated that if precision farming and advanced machinery are adopted, farmers' income could increase by 20 to 30 per cent. NITI Aayog member Professor K.V. Raju and drone industry experts also participated in the discussion.

During the discussion, emerging technologies such as agricultural drones under schemes like 'Namo Drone Didi', carbon credits, and women-friendly farming tools were highlighted. To ensure small farmers do not bear the cost of purchasing expensive equipment, panelists advocated for 'Uber-like' sharing models such as 'Drone as a Service' (DaaS) and 'Farming as a Service' (FaaS). The private sector is focusing on sustainable, hybrid, and fuel-efficient technologies to increase long-term productivity.