The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare announced the operational deployment of 'Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra', India's first nationwide WhatsApp AI advisory service for oilseed farmers, developed by ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (ICAR-IIOR), Hyderabad. The service was officially launched by the Secretary, DARE & Director General, ICAR during the National Oilseeds Conference in New Delhi on February 6, 2026, as part of India's renewed focus on boosting domestic oilseed production and reducing dependence on edible oil imports during the kharif sowing season.
The AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot provides free, research-based advisory services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in all Indian languages, covering major oilseed crops including groundnut, mustard, sesame, sunflower, soybean, niger, and other oilseed crops. Farmers can access the service by saving the number +91 4024598180 as 'Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra' on WhatsApp and sending messages in their preferred Indian language without needing to download any additional application.
The advisory service offers comprehensive guidance on variety selection, crop management practices, pest and disease control, irrigation scheduling, and post-harvest practices. The knowledge base has been developed collaboratively with multiple ICAR institutes including ICAR-National Soybean Research Institute (Indore), ICAR-Indian Institute of Groundnut Research (Junagadh), ICAR-Indian Institute of Rapeseed and Mustard Research (Bharatpur), and PC-Unit (Sesame & Niger), ensuring coverage across different agro-climatic zones of India.
Dr. R.K. Mathur, Director of ICAR-IIOR, emphasized that this initiative removes barriers of distance, language, and cost between research laboratories and farmers' fields. The technical development was led by Mr. Cheedella Nimesh (M.S., IIT Madras) and Mr. Katipally Sriman (M.S.), with scientific knowledge base conceptualization led by Dr. Chunduri Sarada of ICAR-IIOR. The service represents a significant digital transformation in agricultural extension services, leveraging WhatsApp's widespread adoption among Indian farmers to deliver instant, trusted research-based knowledge directly to mobile phones.