A digital agriculture grid has the potential to revolutionise farming by bridging technological gaps and delivering personalised support directly to farmers, according to Jagadish Babu, co-founder of OpenAgriNet (OAN), a global coalition focused on digital agriculture innovation. In an exclusive interview with The Indian Express, Babu outlined how connected digital networks—built on open standards and powered by AI—could improve access to services, reduce fragmentation and elevate farmers’ incomes.
OpenAgriNet, formed by a coalition of governments, nonprofits, technology organisations and funders, including the Gates Foundation and World Bank, aims to create a shared digital infrastructure for agriculture. The initiative supports the Government of India’s Digital Agriculture Mission by providing open toolkits, unified protocols and data standards that enable interoperable systems across regions and countries.
At the heart of this vision is VISTAAR, an open, federated network that connects agricultural info and advisory services across states. In Maharashtra, for example, MahaVISTAAR already integrates weather information, scheme benefits, market prices and advisory services into a unified platform—accessible even on feature phones, without the need for apps or literacy. States including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Bihar are at various stages of adopting similar systems.
Babu emphasised that the digital grid would benefit farmers by consolidating scattered services. Instead of navigating multiple apps and portals to access government schemes or market intelligence, farmers could simply call for personalised AI-driven support tailored to their location, soil type and crops. Critical services such as weather forecasts, soil health updates, market prices and grievance tracking would be unified, reducing complexity and saving time.
“This approach begins with the farmer’s needs and works backwards into the system,” Babu said, highlighting that the grid does not replace existing government systems but connects them, making them discoverable and usable by AI and other services.
The global ambition doesn’t stop at India’s borders: Ethiopia is launching a nationwide instance of the OAN network, and other countries in Africa and South America are exploring adoption. The model’s flexibility allows countries with varying levels of digital maturity to participate.
Experts argue that improving digital literacy and infrastructure will be critical for widespread adoption. Still, proponents see the digital agriculture grid as a major step toward transforming agriculture from a fragmented system into a knowledge-driven, connected ecosystem that empowers farmers worldwide.
