Union Government Launches Bharat-VISTAAR to Deliver Weather Alerts, Crop Advisory and Farm Intelligence

Key Takeaways:

• Bharat-VISTAAR is a multilingual AI platform designed to support over 140 million Indian farmers.
• It integrates weather alerts, mandi prices, crop advisory, and government schemes in one ecosystem.
• The initiative aims to improve productivity, reduce farming risks, and bridge the rural digital divide.
• AI-driven agriculture tools signal a major shift toward data-based decision-making in Indian farming.

Jaipur, February 17, 2026: Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, launched Bharat-VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources) today at 10:00 AM at the State Institute of Agricultural Management (SIAM) in Jaipur. This multilingual AI tool, first announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2026–27 on February 1, promises to empower over 140 million farmers with smart, fast, and accurate information to boost farm productivity and decision-making.

What is Bharat-VISTAAR?

Described as a “multi-layered digital platform” and National Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for agriculture, Bharat-VISTAAR integrates AgriStack portals and the ICAR package on agricultural practices with advanced AI systems. With an allocation of ₹150 crore in the upcoming financial year, it delivers end-to-end support through:

• Personalised crop health and weather alerts powered by machine-learning models.
• Weather updates, mandi prices, pest and disease management, soil health, crop advisory, and government schemes—all in one place.
• Natural-language voice bots for query-based access without typing.
• Direct access to central and state government benefits via a single digital window.
• Unified integration with state land records and localised extension services.
• Interface and audio content in 22+ regional Indian languages, starting with Hindi and English in Phase 1.

Farmers can access services immediately via phone calls and a chatbot, with a mobile app rolling out in the next phase. Phase 1 targets lakhs of farmers in states such as Maharashtra, Bihar, and Gujarat.

How Bharat-VISTAAR Benefits Indian Farmers and Agriculture

This AI-for-agriculture platform addresses key challenges in Indian farming by bridging the digital divide in rural areas. Farmers gain customised advisory support to reduce risks, enhance productivity, and increase profitability.

For instance, real-time mandi prices and weather alerts help optimise sowing and harvesting, while pest management and soil health insights minimise crop losses. The unified ecosystem streamlines credit, market access, and technical support, solving siloed data issues across platforms.

By connecting farmers to AgTech startups and partners, Bharat-VISTAAR fosters innovation, enabling the development of new solutions for localised needs.

During the Jaipur launch, Chouhan and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma also unveiled the “AI for Agriculture Roadmap,” with announcements for the “AI Hackathon” and “Agrikosh.” The event saw virtual participation from state Agriculture Ministers, farmers, ICAR, KVKs, agricultural universities, Union Minister of State Bhagirath Choudhary, and senior officials.

A press briefing follows at 12:15 PM, succeeded by a field visit to Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University (SKNAU), Jobner.

Skymet’s Take: Championing Farmer-Centric Innovation

As a farmer-oriented and agri-focused brand, Skymet wholeheartedly appreciates this one-of-a-kind initiative. Bharat-VISTAAR aligns closely with our mission to deliver precise weather intelligence for agriculture, and we are encouraged to see how its AI-driven alerts may complement tools like ours to support sustainable farming across India.

In the broader evolution of agriculture, Bharat-VISTAAR represents more than digitisation. By unifying fragmented data, strengthening climate resilience, and enabling informed farm decisions, the platform has the potential to enhance productivity, reduce risk, and contribute meaningfully to national food security and rural prosperity.

For more details, visit the official website: https://vistaar.da.gov.in.