Unlocking Farmer-centric Digital Agriculture

Table Of Contents

1. Note from Secretary IT & BT
2. Introduction & Takeaways
3. Minister IT & BT’s Call to Action
4. Point of View
5. Key Themes
6. State Experiences
7. Private sector Agri Tech
8. Lightning Talks (BCG, IISc, CGIAR, Kalgudi, TAC)
9. Data Governance
10. RT1: Vision & Roadmap for Digital Agriculture in Karnataka
11. RT2: Green Finance for Data Driven Climate Smart Agriculture

IT & BT Secretary’s Foreword

Ekroop Caur, IAS, Secretary, Department of El IT BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka

Agriculture forms the backbone of Karnataka's economy, and as we navigate the challenges of the 21st century, digital transformation offers a path to revitalizing this crucial sector. The Government of Karnataka, in partnership with KDEM, The World Bank, The Agri Collaboratory, and TiE Bangalore, convened a multi-stakeholder workshop on October 7, 2024, to unlock the potential of farmer-centric digital agriculture through partnerships and innovation.

This workshop provided a unique platform for thought leaders, innovators, startups and stakeholders from public, private, and academic sectors to discuss ideas and strategies for leveraging digital technologies in agriculture. The insights gained emphasized the need for institutional infrastructure, such as a Digital Agriculture Centre of Excellence, and innovative tools like Agri Sandboxes and Data Exchanges to propel Karnataka’s agricultural sector forward.

We recognize that smallholder farmers, women farmers, and tenant cultivators must be at the heart of our strategies. Digital agriculture holds immense potential to not only enhance productivity and sustainability but also to significantly support the farmer community, particularly small and tenant farmers. By leveraging technology, we can improve their incomes, strengthen resilience against climatic and market challenges, and empower them with data-driven tools and solutions tailored to their needs. The workshop also emphasized the importance of prioritizing green finance and implementing farmer-friendly solutions to enable a data-driven, climate-smart approach to agriculture. We acknowledge the critical need to focus on this sector to drive sustainable and inclusive growth.

The Dept of El IT Bt and S&T, Government of Karnataka is committed to building on the actionable roadmap crafted through this workshop. By fostering cross-sector collaboration, enhancing data governance, and developing scalable solutions, we aim to position Karnataka as a leader in digital agriculture innovation.

As we continue this journey, I extend my gratitude to all partners and participants for their valuable contributions. Together, we can harness the transformative power of digital technologies to empower our farmers and build a sustainable, prosperous future for Karnataka’s agriculture.

Introduction

On the 7th of October 2024, the Government of Karnataka and KDEM organised a multi-stakeholder workshop focused on digital agriculture in collaboration with The World Bank, The Agri Collaboratory and TiE Bengaluru.

The full day session captured innovative ideas, strategies and learnings from thought leaders and stakeholders across public, academic and private sectors. Various national and international initiatives were discussed to help build a Strategic Vision and Roadmap for Digital Agriculture in Karnataka.

Such a roadmap would guide efforts in harnessing digital technologies to transform Karnataka’s agricultural sector and benefit the Farmer.

Key takeaways from the workshop are summarised below:

Key Takeaways

1. Create a five-year vision and roadmap for Karnataka to accelerate digital agriculture with close collaboration with Agri Tech Start Ups.
2. Strengthen Institutional Infrastructure: Establish a Digital Agri CoE (Centre of Excellence) for AgriTech, Agri Fintech, Climate Tech to serve as a hub for innovation, research, and collaboration, bringing together expertise from academia, industry, and government.
3. Prioritize Green Finance to Farmers for resource-efficient AgriTech solutions: improving farmer profitability with enhanced sustainability, advisory and climate-smart practices e.g. improved soil health, reduced water usage and pesticide residue etc.
4. Accelerate proliferation of Agri Techs & Agri Fin Techs to impact Farmers especially Small Holders, Women and Tenanted, across all districts of Karnataka.
5. Establish an Agri Sandbox and Data Exchange to enable innovation using Agri Data, strengthen data governance and validate solutions to accelerate farmer adoption.
6. Build pathways to enhance “penetration, maturity and impact” of Digital Agriculture and track progress against the five-year vision leveraging an “Agri Digitalisation Framework (AgDx).

IT & BT Minister’s Call to Action

Priyank Kharge, Minister for Information Technology & Biotechnology, Govt of Karnataka

The workshop organisers briefed the Minister on progress over the previous 12 months in Karnataka on accelerating digital agriculture, and the need for a collaborative approach across Govt Departments and the Private Sector, a data governance framework, and establishing institutional infrastructure (Agri Centre of Excellence, Agri Sandboxes and Agri Data Exchange etc.).

Mr. Priyank Kharge appreciated the diverse group of thought leaders from The World Bank, The Agri Collaboratory, TIE and, AgriTech startups brainstorming with the Government of Karnataka to build practical solutions for the benefit of both - the Farmer and the Government.

Dr. Parmesh Shah the Global Lead for Data, Digital Agriculture and Innovation at The World Bank briefed the minister that based on his experience across 29 countries, building a 5-year roadmap with a focus on institutions and use cases helps accelerate progress on data governance and targeted data sharing for specific areas like agri finance, climate smart solutions, soil rejuvenation, etc.

Minister’s Recommendation:

1. Build a 3 – 5 Year roadmap for Karnataka to enable an integrated approach across silos and government departments to leverage current and new programs across sustainability, water, circular economy, etc. to target higher exports of farm goods, farmer profitability and sustainability practices. Organise collaborative workshops to brainstorm and prepare a roadmap and a blueprint for the Govt. of Karnataka before the end of this financial year (2024-25).
2. Annual Agri Tech forum in Karnataka for startups and thought leaders from other states and nations to brainstorm and showcase best practices, technology and use cases for digital and data led innovation in agriculture. The first forum to be organised within this financial year (2024-25)

Point of view

“With collaboration across government, startups, industries, and the agri ecosystem, digital agriculture can empower farmers and drive sustainable growth.”

- Sanjeev Gupta, CEO, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission

"AI & digital tech in agriculture can turn farmers into entrepreneurs and Karnataka into a global Agri & food leader."

- Parmesh Shah, Global Lead-Data, Digital Agri & Innovation, at The World Bank’s Agriculture & Food Global Practice

"Enabling data Sharing among Agri Techs and with the Govt. will accelerate innovation in agriculture."

- Nipun Mehrotra, Founder & CEO, The Agri Collaboratory

“Let’s make agriculture aspirational to attract the youth using innovative technologies like drones, AI, etc”

- Madan Padaki, President, TiE Bangalore

“Karnataka’s farmers are building climate resilience and boosting incomes using technology and digital agriculture.”

- Priti Kumar, Senior Agriculture Specialist, The World Bank

Cross cutting themes

1. Collaborate - The importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration to break down silos was a key theme. Speakers emphasized that collective efforts from government, private enterprises, and nonprofits are essential to overcoming the agricultural sector’s challenges.
2. Ensure Farmer at the Centre - A mindset shift is needed to view farmers as entrepreneurs and contributors to the economy, not just beneficiaries of government schemes. Agriculture must be positioned as an exciting career for the youth, integrating technology and business innovation.
3. DPIs for Efficiency & Impact - Agri startups spend around 70% of their time and resources on duplicated efforts, mainly in data collection and management, rather than innovation. Digital public infrastructure, open data sets and institutional infra minimize wastage redirecting focus towards innovations that benefit farmers.

State Experiences

State Participants - Shri Jayesh Ranjan, Government of Telangana, Shri Dr B. Ashok, Government of Kerala, Shri Mahesh Shirur, Government of Karnataka, Shri Parimal Singh, Government of Maharashtra, Shri Dr Parmesh Shah, World Bank

Moderator - Smt Priti Kumar, World Bank

Telangana has emerged as a leader in India’s digital agriculture by leveraging technology to modernize farming and improve outcomes for farmers. A key initiative driving this transformation is the Agricultural Data Exchange (ADEX) & The Agricultural Data Management Framework (ADMF)

ADEX platform integrates diverse datasets from government departments, research institutions, and the private sector, covering weather, soil health, crop performance, and market conditions. Telangana has tackled the complexity of data integration by focusing on a select number of key crops. A detailed value chain analysis identifies data needs at each stage—from planting to harvest—and maps out relevant data sources. Developed in collaboration with IISc Bengaluru, ADEX is hosted and managed by the Emerging Technologies Wing of the Department of IT. Regular updates, powered by government resources, ensure the platform remains practical and relevant.

ADMF governs the entire data lifecycle, incorporating a consent mechanism that empowers farmers to control how their data is used, safeguarding it from misuse for commercial purposes. This is especially important given the potential for exploitation of sensitive data by private entities, which could be a disadvantage for farmers.

Telangana also conducts real-world trials within an agricultural innovation sandbox— a controlled environment for experimenting with new technologies and ideas.

A critical element of this ecosystem is establishing clear data ownership and governance structures. Telangana recognizes the importance of defining data ownership, access, and sharing protocols. This structured approach positions the state as a leader in building equitable, innovative, and sustainable digital agriculture systems.

Kerala is advancing data-driven agriculture with the KATHIR model, an upgraded version of its Agricultural Management Information System (AMIS). This model integrates agri-stack registries for farmers, land, and crops, creating a robust data management framework.

Its interoperable farmer and land registries enable seamless data sharing and cross-referencing between government departments and private entities. The crop database is enriched with seasonal data from remote sensing and ground truthing, ensuring both accuracy and relevance. Kerala is developing 57 applications within 18 months to support agricultural decision-making, with a focus on 7 key solutions, including credit access and weather-based advisories.

Karnataka and Maharashtra have also made significant progress through the World Bank financed REWARD and POCRA projects, in gathering precision data on farmers, crops, land, and natural resources such as soil and water. While these states have built valuable datasets, the next step is to transform this raw data into actionable products and services that benefit farmers. By partnering with the private sector, state governments can create tailored solutions, such as credit services based on financial histories, precision farming advisories for optimizing inputs like fertilizers and water, and market intelligence that helps farmers secure better prices for their produce.

A critical application of agricultural data lies in delivering climate-smart advisories, designed to help farmers adapt to changing climatic conditions. These include soil nutrient management techniques, water conservation strategies, and region-specific recommendations, which foster sustainable improvements in crop yields.

Digital traceability in supply chains is another crucial innovation, ensuring transparency and accountability by tracking agricultural products from farm to market. Blockchain technology provides an effective solution for monitoring every stage of the supply chain while maintaining quality standards. This transparency is particularly valuable for buyers in distant markets or export destinations, building trust and ensuring competitiveness in global markets.

Private Sector Agri Tech

Participants - Shri Prakash Jayaraman (Ernst & Young), Shri Yuvraj Ahuja (IFC, The World Bank), Shri Timmana Gouda (WhatsLoan)

Moderator - Shri Nipun Mehrotra (Founder and CEO of The Agri Collaboratory)

This session highlighted the challenges and opportunities in Agri Tech, emphasizing the critical need for collaboration, data-driven solutions, and robust institutional infrastructure to unlock Agri Tech’s potential in India.

Key Takeaways:

1. Top three technical barriers

• Access to Data: Lack of notified rules under the DPDP Act hinders data availability.

• Trustworthy Data: Ensuring the quality and reliability of agricultural data remains a challenge.

• Market Access: Startups struggle to reach markets effectively.

2. Top three barriers to scaling innovation

• Limited government partnerships inhibit growth at scale.

• Lack of credit for farmers restricts their ability to pay for Agri Tech services.

• Fragmented value chains, duplication of efforts, and insufficient private-to-private partnerships further impede progress.

3. Agri Stack and Data Standardisation

• Agri Stack uses an Aadhaar-based functional farmer ID to create a unified yet federated data structure.

• Data standardisation is underway, and once critical mass builds, states are expected to adopt it.

• Focusing on five large states could benefit half of Indian farmers.

4. Collaboration and Privacy Concerns

• A national Agri Data Exchange and innovation sandboxes, similar to RBI’s fintech sandboxes, are crucial for enabling data sharing, privacy frameworks, experimentation, and farmer risk management.

• Introducing risk insurance mechanisms can protect both startups and farmers, fostering trust in new systems.

5. Use Case Development

Developing data stacks with a focus on specific use cases is essential. The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government provides a strong model by prioritizing:

• Advisory Access

• Finance Access

• Market Access

UP leverages private startups for crop surveys, utilizing digital signatures, remote sensing, and ground truthing to enhance data accuracy. The state is also exploring an Open Network for Agriculture, enabling anonymized data sharing via APIs while ensuring privacy protection.

6. Agri Finance and Credit Use Case:

Differentiating between:

• Ability to Pay: Agri Stack enables precise assessment of farmers' financial capacity.

• Transaction Costs: Standardizing data lowers costs and improves efficiency.

• Intent to Pay: Building trust through reliable systems fosters willingness to invest.

Access to efficient, trustworthy data can reduce transactional costs significantly.

7. Consent Mechanisms and Data Privacy:

• Tools like DigiLocker can transform data management for farmers by enabling consent-based sharing.

• Differentiating between extremely sensitive data sets and those less sensitive but critical for economic benefits is vital.

• While agriculture is a state subject, data should be treated as a concurrent subject to facilitate the creation of national data registries and uniform data sets.

This discussion emphasized the need for policy alignment, innovation-driven ecosystems, and farmer-centric data practices to ensure sustainable growth in India’s agriculture sector.

Lightening Talks

1. Overcoming Barriers in Digital Solution Adoption -

Sushma identified three key challenges: awareness, relevance, and viability of technology. Digital Enablement Cells were proposed to help farmers navigate tools and their applications.

A 'Pyigital' approach, blending physical and digital methods, was suggested for tailored, use-case-driven solutions to boost accessibility and engagement.

Sushma Vasudevan, MD & Partner BCG

2. De-risking Agriculture Supply Chains through Financial Innovation -

Raj introduced financial solutions designed by Samunnati to mitigate risk across the agricultural supply chain. These low-friction financial products are tailored to the specific needs of farmers and agribusinesses across diverse value chains and commodities, reducing transactional barriers and offering a safety net against market volatility, fostering resilience & stability.

Raj Vallabhaneni, Founder Kalgudi

3. Scaling Agricultural Innovations with AI: The GRAMA Project

IISc’s GRAMA Project, provides a math optimisation model & AI for large scale agri decision making for crop rotation and decision-making to enable farmers adopt and model new technologies.

GRAMA can be improved through closer collaboration with entities working on the ground to provide real world feedback.

Prof. Yadati Narahari, IISc

4. Fostering Digital Collaboration in Agriculture -

Digital wallets can facilitate secure transactions, while drones provide innovative ways to monitor crop health and optimize resources. Responsible data management practices were highlighted as crucial for maintaining transparency, privacy, and ethical standards in AgriTech, building trust among stakeholders and enabling efficient, informed decision-making.

Shalini Gakhar, Data Scientist, International Rice Research Institution

5. Agri Digitalization Framework (AgDx) -

AgDx is a farmer-centric, Agri Digitalisation Framework, to help assess the penetration, maturity, and impact of the digitalisation of agricultural practices, products, and processes in India & Global South.

The Agri Collaboratory, CGIAR and Institute for Competitiveness (IFC) are co-creating AgDx as a “public good” using public data.

Sanjiv Rangrass, Co Founder TAC, Former ITC Agri CEO

Data Governance

Participants - Shri Alok Prasanna (Vidhi Legal), Suresh Kumar (IISc), Ms. Nay Constantine (Digital Development Specialist)

Moderator - Shri. Arun Sharma (Sr. Digital Specialist, The World Bank)

The panel highlighted the need to build trust, develop emphasising structured consent, state-specific policies, streamlined processes, and secure data-sharing for effective digital governance.

INSIGHTS FROM GLOBAL PRACTICES

• Comparative insights from the EU, USA sector-specific data protection laws, and India’s hybrid approach reveal that balancing transparency with user confidence and practical application remains a global challenge.

• In the EU, the Data Governance Act and the concept of ‘data intermediaries’ provide frameworks for safe and incentivized data sharing, fostering public-sector data reuse.

• Practical approaches to incentivize data sharing include fair compensation models, voluntary data altruism, and clear use cases demonstrating public benefits. These strategies are relevant for India’s agricultural and urban data ecosystems.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Current Challenges in Data Collection and Application

• Startups and agribusinesses spend 75% time on data collection and only 5-10% on analysis and practical application, indicating inefficient data utilisation.

• Despite strong digital infrastructure, India lacks an ecosystem to leverage data across private and government sectors.

2. Legal Framework and Governance Challenges

• The Indian legal landscape is complex due to overlapping regulatory authorities, where digital/IT falls ambiguously between central and state lists, resulting in disparate policies and inconsistent implementation across states.

• The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act may be more suited to private sector contexts than to state governments, which are some of the largest data fiduciaries in the country.

• Legal frameworks often follow technological innovations i.e innovations are first implemented, and laws are created afterward to govern them.

3. Government Role in Data Sharing

• While technological frameworks for data exchange and management are largely feasible, a major barrier remains behavioral i.e. government officials often hesitate to share data due to perceived risks, legal ambiguities, and accountability concerns.

• For data-sharing policies to be long term effective within governmental frameworks, they must integrate process-driven approaches that align with current government operations and processes.

• The Karnataka Innovation Authority Act offers a potential model through its regulatory sandbox, which allows safe experimentation and iterative policy development.

• For effective governance, the government must be approached through established processes, procedures, and forms, ensuring clarity and structure.

4. Data Exchange Framework and Consent Models

• Consent mechanisms, particularly for applications involving personal data, are integral to ensure that data usage aligns with the purposes agreed upon by data owners, such as farmers consent for using personal data for receiving agriculture loans.

5. Future Directions for Data Governance in India

• Effective data governance in India will involve leveraging state-specific models that gradually gain national support through demonstrated success.

• Moving forward, legislation should focus on establishing standards for both personal and non-personal data, encouraging states to create context-specific governance models adaptable at the national level.

Round Table 1: Karnataka's 5 Year Vision & Roadmap for Digital Agriculture

Moderators - Smt Sushma Vasudevan (BCG), Smt Sandhya Vasudevan (TiE)

The roundtable discussion outlined key strategic goals and components to establish Karnataka as a leader in digital agriculture.

Key Takeaways:

• Leadership in Digital Agriculture: Karnataka aims to become a frontrunner in digital agriculture.

• Farmer Income and Resiliency: Focus is on increasing farmer income and resilience, diversifying the economy, fostering export-oriented agricultural practices, and enhancing farm livelihoods, including the contribution of women SHFs.

• Key Enablers: Critical elements include improving data accessibility, fostering public-private partnerships, and building strong technology infrastructure.

Data Integration & Management Challenges:

• Standardized Data Collection: A uniform, standardized approach to data collection is crucial for informed decision-making.

• Public Data Accessibility: Public data must remain accessible with robust consent frameworks to prevent misuse.

• Data Framework or Standards: The right data framework and standards are key to driving standardization and interoperability.

• Integrated Digital Platforms: Collaboration among government departments is essential for creating integrated digital platforms to facilitate efficient data sharing and management.

• Promote Data Awareness: Centralizing data and making it accessible will increase awareness and adaptability among farmers. It will encourage farmers to share data for collaborative decision-making and resource allocation.

• Address Fragmentation: Efforts must focus on overcoming fragmented data and boosting farmer awareness of the benefits of digitization.

Role of Government:

• Government Infrastructure Support: The government should provide essential infrastructure while startups and private entities lead in driving innovation.

Farmer-Focused Digital Transformation:

• Empowerment Through Technology: Technology should simplify advisory systems and deliver measurable impacts, empowering farmers.

• Building Trust: Building trust with farmers is crucial; they should be seen as entrepreneurial partners in the agricultural ecosystem.

• Multi-Crop and Livestock Integration: Integrating multi-crop and livestock systems can address labor shortages and boost productivity.

• Farmer-Centric Solutions: Digital agriculture initiatives must prioritize solutions that directly benefit farmers, such as better credit access, yield enhancement, and bundled services.

Collaboration & Innovation:

• Cross-Sector Collaboration: Collaboration between public, private, and academic sectors is essential for developing practical use cases in digital agriculture.

• Inclusive Approach: Amplifying the voices of startups and stakeholders ensures a more inclusive, responsive approach to digital agriculture.

• Framework Standardization: Standardizing frameworks (e.g., soil testing) is necessary for scalability and broader adoption of digital solutions.

Enablers: Challenges & Next Steps:

• Enabling Last-Mile Infrastructure: Leveraging PACs, FPOs, and other private institutions will be crucial to drive awareness, education, and adoption.

The session concluded with a shared commitment to creating a comprehensive roadmap for digital agriculture in Karnataka, focusing on collaboration, innovation, and farmer empowerment to drive sustainable agricultural development.

Round Table 2: Green Finance for Data Driven Climate Smart Agriculture

Moderators - Shri Jagadeesh Sunkad (Hitha), Shri Rajshekar S C (The World Bank)

The session emphasized leveraging green finance, precise data, and technology to help farmers adopt sustainable, climate-smart practices.

1.Data-Driven Green Finance

Data is key to supporting sustainable agriculture and reducing environmental impact. Tools like remote sensing and data on soil health, crop status, and water use, provide real-time insights enabling smarter decisions on irrigation, fertilizers, and harvesting. This minimises waste, cuts costs, boosts yields, and reduces reliance on chemicals. For financiers, such data enhances loan efficiency by monitoring crop health, reducing risks, and promoting resource-saving, sustainable farming practices.

2. Making Green Finance Appealing and Feasible

Farmers are cautious about adopting green practices due to perceived risks and costs. Providing clear, easy-to-follow guidance can reduce uncertainty, while incentives like carbon credits (earned by reducing emissions) and low-interest loans for green practices can motivate adoption and ensure sustainability

3. Rethinking Financial Models

Green finance must benefit both farmers and lenders by balancing short-term loan support with lenders' need for quick returns. Suggestions include digital wallets or vouchers for eco-friendly supplies, crop transport and other essential needs, giving farmers direct financial value for sustainable practices. Improved data-driven agricultural insurance can protect farmers from weather risks or crop failures while practicing green agriculture thereby also reducing lending risks.

4. Simple Technology, Greater Impact

Tech solutions must be affordable and easy for farmers. For instance, simple sensors that don’t require real-time updates can offer essential insights at a lower cost. Centralized systems like Agristack can collect and share crop data with various stakeholders. It aims to encourage farmers to update their data regularly, creating a more efficient and transparent system for all involved.

5. Precise and Localised Farming Advice

The session emphasized the need for advice specific to local conditions. Currently, many agricultural advisories give broad district or state-wide recommendations that don’t account for local climate or soil differences. Real-time, localized advice considering micro-conditions like rainfall or soil moisture would be far more useful to farmers than general advice based on regional data.

6. Fostering Collaboration for Smarter Resource Use

The discussion stressed the importance of better collaboration. Many organizations currently work in isolation, collecting similar data and developing redundant tools, wasting resources. An open-source platform could facilitate shared data and technology, enabling organizations to build on each other's progress. A common system for standardizing farming data would ensure uniform collection and usage, allowing for smoother integration of tech solutions and more scalable impact.

7. Addressing Market Gaps for Sustainably Grown Produce

The discussion highlighted limited market access for sustainably grown crops. Despite consumer demand for organic and eco-friendly food, reliable channels for farmers to sell such produce at fair prices are lacking. Establishing local markets dedicated to sustainable crops could directly connect eco-conscious consumers with farmers.

Contact Information

Chetan Dixit - chetan.dixit@karnatakadigital.in

Priti Kumar - pkumar2@worldbank.org

Nipun Mehrotra - nipun@agricollaboratory.com

Sandhya Vasudevan - svasudevan253@gmail.com