Lok Sabha Question No. 5272 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-24
Subject: Launch of Bharat-VISTAAR AI Platform
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Ravindra Dattaram Waikar, Shri Atul Garg, Shri Naresh Ganpat Mhaske, Smt. Bharti Pardhi, Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde, Shri Shrirang Appa Chandu Barne

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5272

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 24 TH  MARCH, 2026

## LAUNCH OF BHARAT-VISTAAR AI PLATFORM

5272. SHRI RAVINDRA DATTARAM WAIKAR: SHRI ATUL GARG: SHRI NARESH GANPAT MHASKE: SMT. BHARTI PARDHI: DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE: SHRI SHRIRANG APPA CHANDU BARNE

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the launch of Bharat-VISTAAR AI Platform marks a significant step toward integrating artificial intelligence into farm-level decision-making across the country; (b) whether the platform provides real-time, data-driven advisories on weather patterns, soil health and crop planning to enhance productivity; (c)  whether  Bharat-VISTAAR  AI  ensures  inclusive  access  by  supporting  multiple regional languages and user-friendly interfaces for small farmers; (d) whether the tool strengthens transparency and efficiency in scheme implementation through digital profiling and analytics; and (e) whether Bharat-VISTAAR AI positions India as a pioneer in AI-driven agricultural
- governance and smart farming infrastructure?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

- (a)  to  (e):  Bharat-VISTAAR (Virtually  Integrated  System  to  Access  Agricultural Resources), a multilingual, Artificial intelligence (AI) powered tool, has been announced in  the Union  Budget  2026-27. T he  Government  of India  has  launched  the  Phase-1 version of Bharat-VISTAAR as a nationwide, AI-powered, voice-first, multilingual Digital Public  Infrastructure.  It  is  conceived  as  an  integrated  and  unified  Digital  Public Infrastructure designed to provide farmers with reliable, real-time, and location-specific personalized agricultural advisories while ensuring seamless access to a comprehensive range of allied agricultural and support services.

The platform integrates data from various government digital ecosystems and scientific agricultural practices developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and other authoritative sources to deliver personalised information/advisories on crop  management,  weather,  market  prices,  pest  and  disease  alerts,  and  soil  health insights, in a phase-wise manner. In the Phase I, launched on 17 th  February, 2026, this facility is available in Hindi and  English  languages  through  multiple  channels,  including  a  dedicated  telephone number (155261), a voice-based AI chatbot, a web portal of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare and a downloadable mobile application. Phase-I integrates 10 (ten) major Central schemes, including PM-KISAN, PMFBY, Soil Health Card, Kisan Credit Card,  Agriculture  Infrastructure  Fund,  PM  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana,  PM-AASHA, Modified  Interest  Subvention  Scheme,  Per  Drop  More  Crop,  and  Sub-Mission  on Agricultural Mechanization. The Government has plans to add more regional languages in the subsequent phases. To ensure  accessibility  for  small  and  marginal  farmers,  the  platform  provides smartphone users. It is designed for expansion to regional languages, State-specific Agriculture schemes & information and extension networks, along with awareness and voice-based and Interactive Voice Response  System  (IVRS)  access for noncapacity-building programmes to promote digital adoption.

BharatVistaar  also  promotes  transparency  and  trust  by  ensuring  traceability through clear indication of the source of information used, such as ICAR, IMD, and other authoritative sources.  The  information  being  provided is  dynamically  updated in real time,  ensuring  that  farmers  receive  the  most  current  and  reliable  information  for decision-making, which further improves overall efficiency.

Bharat-VISTAAR has been developed in accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and other IT laws of the country in force. The Government of India also ensures robust data security, which is fully compliant with the cyber security guidelines of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Computer Emergency Response Team-India (CERT-In). In addition, the government conducts periodic security audits of all these IT systems and monitors risks with users accessing this infrastructure within such a short period, this positions Bharat-VISTAAR as one of the transformative DPIs in the agriculture sector delivering at scale.

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