Kisan Tak Agri Conference: Push to farm mechanisation, shared models to boost India's agricultural productivity

Speaking at the session on new tools driving agricultural revolution, Harsh Rai, CEO of Mahindra Group's Farm Division, highlighted how farm mechanisation beyond traditional tractors can transform rural productivity. Rai pointed out that while agriculture contributes 17 to 18 percent of India's GDP and employs roughly 45 percent of the workforce, adopting precision farming tools and advanced machinery could raise farmers' incomes by 20 to 30 percent. The debate, featuring insights from NITI Aayog Member Prof. K.V. Raju and drone industry experts, explored emerging technologies including agricultural drones under schemes like Namo Drone Didi, carbon credits, and female-friendly farm equipment. Panellists advocated adopting shared 'Uber-like' service models, such as Drone as a Service (DaaS) and Farming as a Service (FaaS), to provide smallholders affordable on-demand access to advanced implements without prohibitive capital costs. Rai reiterated the private sector's focus on sustainable, hybrid, and fuel-efficient technologies to drive long-term productivity across India's farmlands.