AI Farm Platform ‘Bharat-VISTAAR’ to Launch from Jaipur
Shivraj Singh Chouhan to roll out voice-first AI system for farmers on Feb 17
- Union Minister to launch AI-based Bharat-VISTAAR in Jaipur
- Platform to offer weather, prices, crop advice and schemes on one call
- Voice-first AI to work even on basic feature phones
- Phase-1 rollout in Hindi and English across several states
GG News Bureau
Jaipur, 16th Feb: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, will launch the AI-powered digital platform ‘Bharat-VISTAAR’ in Jaipur on February 17, aimed at providing farmers with integrated information and advisory services.
Developed under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the platform is designed as a farmer-centric digital public infrastructure. It will offer information on weather, market prices, pests and diseases, soil health, crop advice, and government schemes through phone calls, chatbots, and later through a mobile application.
In the first phase, the service will be available in Hindi and English and is expected to reach lakhs of farmers across states such as Maharashtra, Bihar, and Gujarat. Farmers will be able to access the platform through a voice-based helpline number, chatbot, website, or mobile interface.
The launch event in Jaipur will be attended by Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary, Rajasthan Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena, MPs, MLAs, and senior officials. Lakhs of farmers across the country are expected to join virtually through agricultural institutions, ICAR networks, and Krishi Vigyan Kendras.
On the occasion, the ‘AI for Agriculture Roadmap’ will also be unveiled, along with announcements for an ‘AI Hackathon’ and the ‘AgriKosh’ initiative.
The government said Bharat-VISTAAR has been designed as a voice-first AI system so that even farmers using basic feature phones can access services by calling helpline number 155261. The platform will integrate data from IMD, Agmarknet, the National Pest Surveillance System, Agri-Stack, and major central schemes.
The system will initially cover services related to key central schemes, weather forecasts, market prices, crop and livestock advice, pest alerts, and benefit tracking. It is expected to expand to more states and languages in phases, with a target of covering 11 languages within six months.
