Progress in Generating Unique Digital Farmer IDs
The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has created over 10.18 crore digital Farmer IDs as of 20th July 2026 to streamline the direct transfer of subsidies and technical advisories to farmers. These IDs enable integration of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes including registrations under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna (PM Kisan), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY), Minimum Support Price (MSP) based procurement, access to credit delivery, input distribution, and disaster relief.
Satellite Integration for PMFBY Optimization
The integration of satellite imagery has significantly optimized Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana operations through four key initiatives: Yield Estimation System based on Technology (YES-TECH) uses satellite remote sensing data with crop yield estimation models to generate technology-based crop yield at insurance unit level, supplementing Crop Cutting Experiments data. Smart Sampling for Crop Cutting Experiments uses satellite-derived vegetation indices to identify crop health variations, optimizing CCE planning and eliminating manual selection biases. Dispute Resolution utilizes remote sensing for objective assessment of crop conditions across seasons to resolve area discrepancy and yield disputes between State Governments and Insurance Companies. Rapid Crop Damage & Inundation Assessment employs multi-temporal satellite imagery through Krishi Decision Support System automated workflows for rapid mapping of affected areas during natural calamities.
Agricultural Drone Initiatives and Distribution
Multiple initiatives have been implemented to promote agricultural drone usage. Under the Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM), assistance of up to 50% is provided for agriculture graduates and Small and Marginal farmers of North Eastern States for procuring kisan drones, while other farmers receive 40% financial assistance. Custom Hiring Centers of Kisan Drones also receive 40% financial assistance. A total of 2,122 drones have been distributed/approved under the SMAM scheme.
Drone Training Programs
Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institutes (FMTTIs) at Budni (Madhya Pradesh), Hisar (Haryana), and Biswanath Chariali (Assam) are DGCA-approved Remote Pilot Training Organizations that have trained 155 drone pilots to date. Under the Namo Drone Didi Scheme, a comprehensive 15-day training program on agricultural drone operation including Drone Pilot Licence is conducted for identified Women Self Help Groups through 274 DGCA-approved RPTOs across the country. This scheme has provided 1,094 drones to selected SHGs.
State-wise Farmer ID Distribution
As of 20th July 2026, Uttar Pradesh leads with 2,43,52,649 Farmer IDs generated, followed by Maharashtra with 1,35,05,033 and Madhya Pradesh with 1,13,53,326. Other significant contributors include Rajasthan (87,23,010), Karnataka (64,43,972), Gujarat (62,25,462), Bihar (55,31,133), Andhra Pradesh (50,42,388), Telangana (50,22,227), and Tamil Nadu (36,48,841). Smaller states include Punjab (3,52,049), Uttarakhand (3,23,259), Sikkim (28,885), and Tripura (81,433), with the national total reaching 10,18,40,649 Farmer IDs.