**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer provided by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in response to Unstarred Question No. 1486 in Lok Sabha on December 9th, 2025. The question pertained to the dissemination of agricultural machinery and technologies developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to farmers. The response details the mechanisms in place, assessment of impact, relevant programs, and partnerships.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Dissemination Mechanism**
* ICAR disseminates agricultural machinery and technologies through its National Agricultural Research, Education and Extension System, including 113 Institutes, 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), and 68 Agricultural Universities.
* Technologies are assessed by KVKs, disseminated via demonstrations, capacity-building, awareness programs, and farmer interface, and scaled up by State Governments.
* Farmer feedback is channeled back for refinement.
* ICAR-State Coordination is facilitated through 8 Regional Committees.
* **Impact Assessment**
* Overall mechanization is estimated at 47%, varying with socioeconomic, geographic conditions, and cropping patterns.
* Seedbed preparation is the most mechanized operation (70%).
* Harvesting and threshing is lower (under 35%), except for rice and wheat (over 60%).
* Wheat has the highest mechanized sowing (65%).
* Planting/transplanting levels are modest for sugarcane (25%) and rice (35%).
* ICAR assessed impact of 19 farm equipment/machines for 2012-2023, estimating a total surplus of Rs 14,071 Crores per annum benefiting 19.5 lakh farm families.
* **Government Programs**
* Centrally Sponsored/Central Sector programs/schemes are launched to increase availability of modern mechanization tools, including robotics, AI, drones, and automated equipment.
* Specific schemes include Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization, Namo Drone Didi, and Digital Agriculture Mission.
* **Partnerships**
* ICAR is developing partnerships with private sector entities.
* Over 150 MoUs have been signed in the last 5 years.
* Institutes are licensing technologies to private firms for commercialization.
* ICAR encourages start-ups.
**Impact Analysis**
**Farmers**
* *Impact:* Farmers benefit from the dissemination of agricultural machinery and technologies developed by ICAR, which aims to increase efficiency and productivity.
* *Action Required:* Engage with KVKs and participate in demonstrations, capacity-building programs, and awareness campaigns to adopt new technologies and provide feedback.
**State Government Departments**
* *Impact:* State departments are responsible for scaling up ICAR technologies within their respective states.
* *Action Required:* Implement and promote the technologies and programs to farmers, and coordinate with ICAR for feedback and improvements.
**Private Sector Entities and Start-ups**
* *Impact:* Private entities and start-ups have the opportunity to partner with ICAR for co-development and deployment of technologies.
* *Action Required:* Partner with ICAR, license developed technologies, and contribute to commercialization and deployment efforts.
**ICAR (Including its Institutes, KVKs, and Agricultural Universities)**
* *Impact:* ICAR is responsible for developing, disseminating, and assessing the impact of agricultural technologies.
* *Action Required:* Continue to develop and refine technologies, collaborate with stakeholders, and monitor the impact of the programs and initiatives.
Key Entities Referenced
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR): Central organization responsible for developing and disseminating agricultural technologies and machinery.
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: Government ministry responsible for addressing the question about agricultural machinery and technologies.
Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization: A centrally sponsored scheme to increase the availability of modern mechanization tools.
Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs): Network of agricultural extension centers that disseminate technologies to farmers.
Rajasthan: State specifically mentioned regarding dissemination of agricultural machinery and technologies.
OIH
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1486
TO BE ANSWERED ON 9TH DECEMBER, 2025
DISSEMINATING AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY AND TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED BY ICAR
1486. SHRI MANISH JAISWAL:
SHRI CHINTAMANI MAHARAJ:
SHRI DULU MAHATO:
SMT. SHOBHANABEN MAHENDRASINH BARAIYA:
SHRI RAJKUMAR CHAHAR:
SHRI P P CHAUDHARY:
SMT. KAMALJEET SEHRAWAT:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृषि और ककसान कल्याण मंत्री
be pleased to state:
(a) the mechanism currently in place for disseminating agricultural machinery and
technologies developed by ICAR to farmers across the country including Rajasthan and particularly
in Pali Lok Sabha constituency;
(b) whether any assessment has been done to assess their impact at the regional level;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the Government has launched any new programmes to increase the availability of
modern mechanisation tools, including robotics, Artificial Intelligence-based systems, drones and
automated equipment across the country;
(e) if so, the details thereof including for Pali Lok Sabha constituency; and
(f) the present status of partnerships with private sector entities or start- ups for co-
development and deployment of these technologies?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृषि और ककसान कल्याण राज्य मंत्री (SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY)
(a): The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) through its National Agricultural Research,
Education and Extension System (113 Institutes, 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and 68
Agricultural Universities) across the country has a robust mechanism of disseminating agricultural
machineries and technologies. Research Institutes with its network of All India Coordinated Research
1Projects in various Universities develop technologies and machineries. These technologies are
assessed by KVKs to ensure suitability for diverse agro-ecological conditions. KVKs disseminate the
validated technologies through on-farm demonstrations; capacity-building programmes for farmers
and state extension personnel; awareness programs; farmers’ interface; etc. Subsequently, the State
Government departments scale up these technologies in the states. Farmer feedback is continuously
channelled back to researchers for further refinement and improvement of the technologies. Further,
the ICAR-State Coordination, through 8 Regional Committees, is also in place for coordinating
research and extension activities within a region including Rajasthan and Pali Lok Sabha
Constituency.
(b) & (c): The adoption of farm machinery varies with farmers’ socioeconomic and geographic
conditions as well as cropping pattern. ICAR estimates overall mechanization at about 47%. Seedbed
preparation is the most mechanized operation (70%), while harvesting and threshing remain low
(under 35%) except in rice and wheat, where they exceed 60%. Wheat has the highest mechanized
sowing (65%), and planting/transplanting levels remain modest for sugarcane (25%) and rice (35%).
Further, ICAR also assessed impact of 19 selected farm equipment/machines for the period 2012 to
2023 and found that aggregate total surplus generated from this equipment/machines were about Rs
14,071 Crores per annum benefiting to about 19.5 lakh farm families.
(d) & (e): The Government has launched Centrally Sponsored/Central Sector
programmes/schemes to increase the availability of modern mechanization tools, including robotics,
Artificial Intelligence-based systems, drones and automated equipment across the country including
Rajasthan and Pali Lok Sabha Constituency. Such programmes/schemes include Sub-Mission on
Agricultural Mechanization, Namo Drone Didi and Digital Agriculture Mission.
(f): ICAR is taking initiatives to develop partnerships with private sector entities for co-development
and deployment of technologies. In this regard, ICAR has signed more than 150 MoUs in the last 5
years. Further, the Institutes are licensing the developed technologies to private firms for
commercialization and deployment of the technologies. ICAR is also encouraging start-ups for the
purpose.
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