Lok Sabha Question No. 5282 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-24
Subject: Objectives of Bharat-VISTAAR Platform
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Devusinh Chauhan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 5282

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 24 TH  MARCH, 2026

## OBJECTIVES OF BHARAT-VISTAAR PLATFORM

5282. SHRI DEVUSINH CHA:

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

- (a) the key objectives and components of the Bharat-VISTAAR Platform;
- (b) the total allocation made for the Bharat-VISTAAR platform in the Union Budget 2026 along with the main components and purposes for which funds are earmarked;
- (c) the planned timeline for phased rollout of the platform and the indicative coverage in terms of districts, languages and categories of farmers targeted in the initial phase;
- (d) whether the design framework of Bharat-VISTAAR incorporates safeguards relating to data  privacy,  transparency  of  AI  systems  and  equitable  access  for  small  and  marginal farmers; and
- (e) if so, the details of the broad features of such safeguards?

## 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 with  an  allocation  of  Rs.  150  Crores . The  Government  of  India  has launched  the  phase  -1  of  Bharat-Vistaar.  At  its  core,  Bharat-Vistaar  aims  to  bridge fragmented agricultural information systems by integrating data across schemes, institutions, and datasets into a single, farmer-friendly conversational AI interface that allows farmers to seamlessly access information on government schemes and services, scientific agricultural advisories, weather, pests, and mandi prices.

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 Phase I, launched on 17 th  February, 2026, the platform 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 voicebased and Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) access for non-smartphone users. It is  designed  for  expansion  to  regional  languages,  State-specific  Agriculture  schemes  & information and extension networks, along with awareness and capacity-building programmes to promote digital adoption.

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.

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