Maharashtra Becomes India’s First State to Host an Artificial Intelligence Conference for Agriculture: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

AI for Agri 2026 Conference Inaugurated; AI-Based Apps and Digital Platforms Launched

Mumbai, February 2026 : Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that farmers must confidently use digital services, as various digital applications launched for farmers now enable them to communicate in their own language and receive instant solutions to agriculture-related queries. Through the Maha AI Innovation Centre, the state government is bringing together universities, research institutions and industry to create a digitally enabled ecosystem that simplifies and improves farmers’ lives. He noted that Maharashtra is the first state in the country to organise an Artificial Intelligence (AI) conference dedicated to agriculture, underscoring the government’s focus on achieving comprehensive agricultural development through technology.

The Chief Minister was speaking at the inauguration of the “Global Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture and Investors’ Summit – AI for Agri 2026,” held at the Jio World Convention Centre under the “Maharashtra Agriculture–Artificial Intelligence Policy 2025–2029.” The event was attended by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar, Agriculture Minister Dattatraya Bharane, Employment Guarantee Scheme Minister Bharat Gogawale, Minister of State for Agriculture Adv Ashish Jaiswal, Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Vikas Chandra Rastogi, Agriculture Commissioner Suraj Mandhare, Nanaji Deshmukh Krushi Sanjivani Project Director Parimal Singh, World Bank Executive Director Parameswaran Iyer, and other dignitaries.

Chief Minister Fadnavis said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has accorded high priority to digital infrastructure and AI as key drivers of national development. The India AI Mission aims to promote inclusion, transparency and large-scale impact through technology. Agriculture, being connected to every household and every citizen, is central to this transformation. Maharashtra, he said, will remain at the forefront of the AI revolution and has already become the first state to announce a comprehensive AI policy for agriculture.

He highlighted the development of “Maha-Vistaar AI” as a digital companion for farmers, providing agricultural advisory services, weather and pest management information, market price signals, and easy access to government schemes. The app has already reached nearly three million farmers, with registrations continuing to rise.

Emphasising inclusive adoption, the Chief Minister said Maharashtra will not merely be an AI user but a leader in responsible and effective AI deployment. Recognising that not every farmer owns a smartphone or prefers information only in Marathi, the government has launched multilingual and voice-based digital services, prioritising local languages. These services have boosted farmers’ confidence in using digital tools, and the government plans to expand them to every taluka and village. Through the Maha AI Innovation Centre, universities, research bodies and industry are being integrated into a robust and practical ecosystem for farmers’ benefit.

Maharashtra’s ‘Agri AI Policy’ a Model for All: Union Minister Jitendra Singh

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh welcomed Maharashtra’s independent Agri AI Policy and urged other states to emulate it. He said India’s progress in AI was highlighted at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi, where global leaders, including the IMF chief, praised the country’s achievements. He commended the successful organisation of AI for Agri 2026 under Chief Minister Fadnavis’ leadership.

Dr Singh noted that Prime Minister Modi has linked AI with ethics, transparency, accountability and inclusiveness. AI is already delivering major benefits in agriculture—ranging from crop yield forecasting and crop selection to weather prediction, early disease detection and efficient resource use. He added that AI-based technologies are being developed in 22 Indian languages for farmers nationwide. Initiatives such as “AI Open Stack for Farmers,” integrated AI platforms for agriculture, soil health cards, drone mapping, climate missions and biotechnology policies are further strengthening the sector.

Farmers at the Centre of Technology: Agriculture Minister Dattatraya Bharane

Agriculture Minister Dattatraya Bharane stressed that while this is an era of technology, farmers must remain at its core. Integrating AI, drones and IoT with farmers’ traditional knowledge can make Maharashtra’s agriculture a model for India and the world. He said Maharashtra has secured the top position nationally by implementing an AI-based agriculture policy for 2025–2029, with an allocation of around ₹500 crore. Through the MahaVistaar app, farmers receive personalised advice, market prices, weather updates and guidance on schemes in their own language; over three million farmers have already downloaded the app.

The state aims to achieve food security, climate resilience, women’s empowerment and sustainable agriculture through AI. An AI and Agritech Innovation Centre is being set up to deliver AI-based services to farmers in every district. AI technologies, he said, will make farmers’ lives more secure, empowered and prosperous.

Launch of AI Apps and Key MoUs

Several AI-based agricultural apps and digital platforms were launched to make farming more modern and farmer-centric. The Maha AGX (Maha Agri Data Exchange), an ambitious state data platform developed under the Nanaji Deshmukh Krushi Sanjivani Project, will securely aggregate agricultural data to support research, innovation and policy decisions.

A Large Language Model (LLM) for the Bhili tribal language was launched—the first such initiative to deliver agricultural information and advice in a local tribal language—developed with support from the Nandurbar district administration, Bhashini and the One Step Foundation. The MahaVistaar voice telephony app was also introduced to enable farmers without smartphones to access agricultural advice via phone, along with an AI-based pest and disease identification system using crop images.

A significant tripartite MoU was signed between the One Step Foundation and the World Bank to document the architecture, governance frameworks, implementation lessons and open standards of Maharashtra’s AI-enabled digital public infrastructure, MahaVistaar, for agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries.

Additionally, an MoU was signed with Wageningen University & Research under the Maha-Agri AI Policy 2025–2029 to promote responsible and effective use of AI in agriculture and enhance collaboration between Maharashtra’s agricultural universities and international institutions.

AI for Agri 2026 is being organised with support from global and national partners including the World Economic Forum, FAO, UNDP, IFAD, the Asian Development Bank, ICRISAT, Indian Institute of Science, and the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. Global experts, agritech startups, investors and financial institutions are participating in the conference.