20 February,2026 12:34 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addresses the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi on Friday. PIC/X
Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis on Friday underlined the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture while addressing the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in the national capital, news agency IANS reported.
Addressing the gathering, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the world was at a "very defining moment", pointing out that global food systems are under severe stress due to rising climate volatility, depleting water tables, deteriorating soil health, fragile supply chains and unpredictable markets. For nations of the Global South, he noted, agriculture is far more than an economic activity - it underpins livelihoods, social stability and national security.
Highlighting India's commitment to technology-driven inclusive growth under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said the India AI Mission aims to harness technology to ensure inclusion, transparency and scalability. The Maharashtra CM also emphasised that agriculture must remain central to this mission, as over half a billion Indians depend directly or indirectly on the sector, while small landholders continue to struggle with fragmented information, rising input costs, climate uncertainty, and limited access to credit and markets.
Outlining Maharashtra's AI-led initiatives in agriculture, Fadnavis said conventional extension systems, despite their dedication, cannot match the scale and speed now required.
"AI changes this equation," he said, explaining that it can enable hyperlocal weather forecasts, early pest outbreak alerts, precision irrigation and fertiliser advisory, crop-based credit scoring, transparent supply chains and real-time market guidance.
However, he cautioned that technology alone is not enough. Quoting the Prime Minister's inaugural address, he said, "AI must be built on trusted data, ethical governance, and public accountability. Without trust, scale will not happen'."
CM Fadnavis described the state government's AI-powered mobile platform that delivers multilingual and personalised advisories, market intelligence, and seamless access to government schemes, calling it a "digital friend" for farmers.
"This demonstrates one thing very clearly: farmers are ready for AI when AI is designed for them," he added.
He also referred to early-warning systems for cotton cultivators enabled through geospatial analytics and post-surveillance mechanisms, terming it "predictive governance in action".
The CM said Maharashtra's framework is being developed as a replicable public digital infrastructure model for India and other nations in the Global South.
In collaboration with the India AI Mission, the World Bank, and Wadhwani AI, a global call for AI-driven agricultural use cases led to a compendium of successful real-world applications across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and other regions. The compendium was released in Delhi on Tuesday.
Taking a swipe at political opponents, Fadnavis remarked in a lighter vein, "I would just like to say that they need AI the most, because at times when human intelligence becomes negligible, AI can provide support."
He further said, "The AI Summit taking place is very important for our country. It showcases India's progress in AI to the world. Especially at a time when AI is rapidly advancing and revolutionising various sectors, global leaders coming to India to witness the country's strength and engage in discussions on AI, is highly significant. Our session particularly focussed on AI in agriculture and Maharashtra's achievements in this domain."
(With IANS inputs)
