**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has launched 'Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra,' a nationwide WhatsApp-based AI chatbot providing 24/7 research-based advisory to oilseed farmers. Developed by ICAR-IIOR and launched on February 6, 2026, the service aims to boost domestic oilseed production and reduce import dependence as the Kharif sowing season begins. Farmers can access instant, multilingual guidance on crop management and variety selection by messaging the dedicated service number.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Service Overview and Accessibility**
* The service is India's first nationwide, 24/7 multilingual AI advisory specifically for oilseed farmers.
* It is provided free of cost and operates through WhatsApp, eliminating the need for additional applications or internet browsers.
* The chatbot supports all Indian languages, allowing farmers to type or send questions in their preferred regional tongue.
* **Technical Development and Collaboration**
* Developed by the ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (ICAR-IIOR), Hyderabad.
* Built on a collaborative knowledge base including expertise from ICAR-NSRI (Indore), ICAR-IIGR (Junagadh), ICAR-IIRMR (Bharatpur), and the PC-Unit for Sesame & Niger.
* The AI agent combines scientific research from multiple institutes to provide precise, crop-specific answers across different agro-climatic zones.
* **Scope of Agricultural Advisory**
* Covers a wide range of oilseed crops, including groundnut, mustard, sesame, sunflower, soybean, and niger.
* Provides guidance across the entire crop cycle, including variety selection, agronomic practices, irrigation scheduling, and seed availability.
* Offers specialized support for pest and disease control as well as post-harvest practices.
**Impact Analysis**
**Oilseed Farmers**
* **Impact:** Farmers gain immediate access to expert scientific knowledge without barriers of distance, language, or cost. This facilitates better decision-making during the Kharif sowing season and throughout the crop cycle.
* **Action Required:** Farmers must save the number **+91 4024598180** as ‘Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra’ on their mobile phones and send a WhatsApp message in their preferred language to receive advisory.
**ICAR and Partner Institutes**
* **Impact:** These institutions can now deliver collective research directly to every farmer in the country, bridging the gap between the laboratory and the field.
* **Action Required:** Institutes must continue to maintain and update the robust knowledge base to ensure the AI provides accurate and comprehensive coverage for all major oilseed crops.
Key Entities Referenced
Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra: A nationwide WhatsApp-based AI chatbot providing 24x7 research-based crop advisory to oilseed farmers in multiple Indian languages.
ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (ICAR-IIOR): The primary research institute in Hyderabad responsible for developing and maintaining the AI advisory service for oilseed cultivation.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR): The apex body coordinating agricultural research and education in India, which launched this digital initiative to benefit the farming community.
Dr. R.K. Mathur: Director of ICAR-IIOR who spearheaded the initiative to deliver collective scientific research directly to farmers' mobile phones.
National Oilseeds Conference: The official event in New Delhi where the Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra service was launched to focus on boosting domestic oilseed production.
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
'Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra', India's First Nationwide
WhatsApp AI Advisory for Oilseed Farmers
24x7 multilingual chatbot delivers free, research-based
advisory in all Indian languages
'Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra- A Multilingual, 24×7, Research Based
Service from ICAR-IIOR and Partner Institutes
प्रव तथ: 11 JUN 2026 5:56PM by PIB Delhi
As India enters the kharif sowing season with renewed focus on boosting domestic oilseed production and
reducing dependence on edible oil imports, Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra, the WhatsApp-based AI advisory
service developed by ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (ICAR-IIOR), Hyderabad, is emerging
as a powerful tool bringing trusted, research-based knowledge about oilseed cultivation directly to
farmers’ mobile phones, anytime and in their own language.
The service was launched by the Secretary, DARE & Director General, ICAR during the National
Oilseeds Conference, New Delhi on 6th February,2026, underscoring ICAR’s commitment to harnessing
digital technology for the direct benefit of the farming community. The initiative enables any oilseed
farmer in India to access free, trusted, and instant crop advisory simply through WhatsApp as a platform
already familiar to millions of farmers, without needing to download any additional application.
Farmers can save the number +91 4024598180 as ‘Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra’ on WhatsApp and ask questions
in any Indian language about groundnut, mustard, sesame, sunflower, soybean, niger, and other oilseed
crops. The AI-powered chatbot responds instantly with research-based guidance on variety selection, crop
management, pest and disease control, irrigation, and post-harvest practices, 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week, free of cost.Dr. R.K. Mathur, Director of ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research, Hyderabad said that ‘Oilseeds
Kisaan Mitra’ is the first time ICAR's collective oilseed research, which has been delivered to every
farmer in the country, in their own language, on a platform they already use. By combining the scientific
knowledge of ICAR-IIOR, NSRI, IIGR, IIRMR and the PC-Unit (Sesame & Niger) with a multilingual AI
agent on WhatsApp. He said that we have removed the long-standing barriers of distance, language, and
cost between the laboratory and the farmer's field. He added that as kharif sowing begins, we urge all
oilseed farmers and other stakeholders to save ‘Kisaan Mitra’ and ask their questions, 24×7.
How to Access Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra
Step 1: Save +91 4024598180 in your phone as ‘Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra’
Step 2: Open WhatsApp and send a message in your preferred Indian language
Step 3: Receive instant, research-based advisory on your oilseed crop, free of cost, available 24x7
How It Works
Using advanced AI and a robust knowledge base developed from the collective scientific expertise of
multiple ICAR institutes, ‘Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra’ understands questions typed or sent in regional
languages and provides precise, crop-specific answers. Farmers need no special app or internet browser;
the familiar WhatsApp interface is all that is needed. The chatbot covers the entire crop cycle including
variety selection, agronomic practices, pest and disease management, irrigation scheduling, and post-
harvest guidance and seed availability.
The knowledge base has been built collaboratively with ICAR-National Soybean Research Institute,
Indore (ICAR-NSRI), ICAR-Indian Institute of Groundnut Research, Junagadh (ICAR-IIGR), ICAR-
Indian Institute of Rapeseed and Mustard Research, Bharatpur (ICAR-IIRMR) and PC-Unit (Sesame &Niger), ensuring comprehensive coverage of all major oilseed crops across different agro-climatic zones of
India.
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RC/MS
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