Mumbai, Feb 23: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the state has become the first in India to host a dedicated Artificial Intelligence conference focused on agriculture, positioning itself as a national leader in AI-driven farming transformation.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Global Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture and Investors’ Summit (AI for Agri 2026) under the Maharashtra Agricultural Artificial Intelligence Policy 2025–2029, Fadnavis said the state aims to build a digitally empowered ecosystem for farmers through the Maha-AI Innovation Centre by integrating universities, research institutions and industry stakeholders.
The Chief Minister highlighted the rollout of Maha-Vistar AI, a digital companion platform offering crop advisory, weather updates, pest management support, market price trends and access to government schemes. Over 3 million farmers have accessed the app to date. The platform includes multilingual and voice-based features to ensure inclusivity.
The state has allocated nearly Rs 500 crore to implement its AI-based Agriculture Policy (2025–2029), with plans to establish AI and Agritech Innovation Centres across districts.
Several AI applications were launched, including Maha Agri-X (Agri Data Exchange), an AI-based pest and disease detection system, a voice telephony app, and an LLM initiative supporting the Bhili tribal language.
Maharashtra also signed strategic MoUs with the World Bank-backed One Step Foundation to document its AI-enabled digital public infrastructure, and with Wageningen University and Research to promote responsible AI adoption in agriculture.
The initiative aligns with the broader national push for digital infrastructure and inclusive AI under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
