The government has taken another step towards making agricultural services more accessible digitally, with Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launching the upgraded Agri Welfare Portal to bring government schemes, financial assistance and reliable agricultural information directly to farmers’ mobile phones.
The initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India vision and commitment to farmers’ welfare. The portal aims to eliminate procedural hurdles, reduce dependence on intermediaries and provide farmers with a single digital platform to access essential government services without visiting multiple offices or navigating different websites.
Addressing the launch programme, Chouhan said the Prime Minister’s vision was to ensure that the government remained accessible to citizens, particularly farmers, through their mobile phones. Technology, he emphasised, could fulfil its true purpose only when it reached farms and rural communities and made people’s lives easier.
The upgraded portal will serve as a common digital gateway to major agricultural initiatives, including PM-KISAN, AgriStack and the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. Farmers will be able to access information about government schemes, subsidies, eligibility requirements, rules and digital services through a unified interface.
Highlighting the importance of transparency, Chouhan said online eligibility checks, application facilities and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) would help streamline procedures and reduce the role of intermediaries in accessing government assistance.
The portal has been designed keeping rural users in mind. Its lightweight architecture and mobile-friendly interface are intended to ensure smooth operation on basic smartphones, including in areas with limited internet connectivity. It will also provide authentic agricultural information relating to weather conditions, scientific farming practices, seed and fertiliser availability, and prevailing market prices for agricultural produce.
Emphasising the need for dependable information, the Agriculture Minister directed officials to ensure that the portal remained accurate and regularly updated. He cautioned that outdated or incomplete information could undermine farmers’ trust in digital services, making continuous monitoring and timely updates essential.
Chouhan also stressed that the portal’s language and processes must remain simple enough for small and marginal farmers, including those with limited formal education, to understand and use conveniently.
To encourage wider adoption of digital agricultural services, a special training campaign will be conducted through Krishi Vigyan Kendras across the country. The programme will help farmers become familiar with the portal and other digital tools, enabling them to make better use of available schemes and services.
The platform also envisages bringing together Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), agricultural scientists, researchers and startups. This broader digital ecosystem could facilitate easier access to information and strengthen connections among farmers, institutions and agricultural innovators.
Developed in accordance with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s Digital Brand Identity Manual 3.0 and Guidelines for Indian Government Websites 3.0, the portal incorporates security, accessibility and mobile usability standards. It is designed to support persons with disabilities, including visually impaired users, through screen-reader compatibility and simplified navigation.
Chouhan commended the technical team for completing the upgraded portal within the stipulated timeframe.
Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Secretary Atish Chandra, Additional Secretary Pramod Meherda, senior officials of the Digital Agriculture Division and representatives of the Ministry and the National Informatics Centre attended the launch.
The initiative seeks to make digital governance more practical at the grassroots level, placing government information and services within easier reach of farmers across the country.
