| Sumario: | Over the past thirty years, Indian agriculture has undergone a profound digital transformation—evolving from early ICT experiments in the 1990s to the emergence of data-driven and AI-enabled Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). What began with rural telecentres and credit cards has evolved into an integrated digital framework empowering farmers through real-time information, financial inclusion, and access to national markets. Each phase—from the Kisan Credit Card and e-Choupal to AgriStack and Digital Public Infrastructure—has progressively bridged gaps in knowledge, access, and opportunity, shaping a more resilient and connected farming future.
The foundation for this transformation was laid in the 1990s, with economic liberalisation, the expansion of public internet access, and the introduction of KCC, which brought millions of farmers into the ambit of formal credit. The 2000s marked India’s first wave of ICT-enabled agriculture: initiatives such as AgMARKNET, ITC e-Choupal, Gyandoot, and the Kisan Call Centres provided transparent mandi prices, remote advisory support, and village-level information kiosks. As mobile adoption surged, SMS-based services like Reuters Market Light made timely weather, price, and agronomic information widely accessible for the first time.
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