AI and data will be crucial in Indian farming: Vijay Nakra

Increasing production alone will no longer be sufficient for the Indian agricultural sector; strengthening the entire agricultural value chain will become imperative. This was stated on the first day of the 'Kisan Tak Bharat Agriculture Conference 2026', organised by the India Today Group at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi.

Addressing the 'Yahi Samay Hai, Sahi Samay' session during the conference, Vijay Nakra, President of Farm Equipment Business at Mahindra & Mahindra Group, stated that Indian farming is currently passing through a phase of major transformation and the country has the right time to take advantage of this opportunity. According to reports, he gave the mantra of 'Smart Kisan' for a bright future of farming.

Vijay Nakra emphasised that food security is extremely essential for the security, development, and prosperity of any country, and the greatest responsibility for this rests on the shoulders of farmers. He added that farmers are currently facing several serious challenges such as changing weather, climatic uncertainty, rising cost of inputs, shortage of labour, and increasing pressure on natural resources. Under such circumstances, it is everyone's collective responsibility to help farmers fight these difficulties.

Praising the farmers, Nakra said that Indian farmers never stop despite numerous difficulties. They adapt themselves according to the situation, conduct new experiments, and continue to move forward. Farmers do not work only for their families, but also contribute significantly to the rural community, the country's economy, and national progress. He clarified that the responsibility to help farmers is not only the government's, but the private sector, government, and media must work together to prepare solutions so that farmers can move forward despite uncertainties.

India is among the largest agricultural producing countries and is also the world's largest tractor market, alongside being the third largest economy in the world. Nevertheless, Vijay Nakra noted that India's agricultural production per hectare is still low compared to many other agricultural economies. He said that the challenge now is not just to produce more grain, but to generate more value from every acre of land, every drop of water, and every effort of the farmer. The success of the agricultural sector should not be measured only by production in the field, but by how much value is being added across the entire agricultural value chain through storage, logistics, food processing, and market access.

At present, farmers and policymakers face major challenges such as the problem of stubble burning, water availability, and soil health. Nakra warned that the demand for water will increase further in the coming times, as the need for water is set to rise in sectors such as industry, power generation, and data centres, apart from farming. Therefore, states will have to maintain a balance between development and agricultural sustainability.

Modern technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), data, and farm machinery will play a crucial role in solving these problems. He stated that through technologies such as zero tillage and multi-crop seeding, sowing can be done in the field without removing crop residues. Similarly, machines like balers help in collecting stubble, which reduces the need for burning and maintains soil health. Additionally, technologies such as sensors, software, AI, and smart drip irrigation can play an important role in saving water and farming according to the climate.