In India, more than 50% people are dependent on Agriculture for their livelihood

and Digital India is also targeted at empowering the farmers to increase their
profitability by providing timely information and services. Digital India would play
a vital role in achieving the governments target of doubling farmers income by
2022.
Challenges
The availability of spatial and temporal data infrastructure (SDI) and presence of
low-cost devices(smartphones/tablets) to access content are essential
requirements for a successful and efficient utilization of ICT in agriculture 1. The
reach however is low. The recent reports suggest that India ranks 139 th in
Internet connectivity. The NOFN scheme initiated to provide broadband
connectivity to the 250,000 gram panchayats is operational in only 17000 gram
panchayats2. Digital literacy among the target population and quality accurate
digital content are vital components for the success of this project. From the
farmers standpoint, the usage of digital content requires a significant level of
behavioural change as it is an alien phenomenon to them. Inaccurate and
outdated data provided by government agencies dents this belief system and
impedes the shift to use digital content. The absence of an umbrella library
system that contains complete resources (of farming techniques, patterns, cost
and prices) in regional languages is a challenge that needs to be confronted if
the scheme is to be sustainable. This would help the farmers to get the
necessary information anytime, and eliminates the need of an instructor.
Recommendations
Infrastructure
To tackle the problem of slow trickling of Internet and Communications
infrastructure across the 250,000 panchayats, efforts should be made to create
at least one Internet kiosk instead of the mass installation of Wi-Fi hotspots which
would take years to reach all villages. The smartphone adoption in India hovers
around 17% and is much lower in rural areas. Low-cost phones and data charges
are the way forward and the government must usher in private players to
address these issues. Infrastructure to collect SDI and the use of big data and
analytics could also be established on large scale only by tapping the expertise
of private players like RML. This would increase the value chain efficiencies by
helping the farmers reach an integrated upstream market and thereby getting a
larger share of the produce value.
Trust and Behaviour related issues
The lack of trust in ICT enable services provided by government agencies could
be confronted through public-private partnerships or by creating a conducive
marketplace for private players to compete and provide maximum value to the
consumers by means of timely and accurate data and content.

1 http://idc.icrisat.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Mission-India-for-
Transforming-Agriculture-MITrA-IDC-Report-No-4.pdf

2 http://www.businesstoday.in/sectors/telecom/govt-optical-fibre-cable-target-may-be-
over-ambitious/story/245651.html
Digital Literacy
To thrust the farmers towards digital agriculture, digital literacy and digital
financial literacy are vital cogs that need to be imparted to remove fear by
making them feel secure. Visaka (Digital Financial Literacy Campaign) and Digital
Saksharta Abhiyan (DISHA) launched by the government are steps in the right
direction but for a large-scale and sustainable implementation, interventions of
large scale through media and other players are necessary.