As India prepares for the kharif sowing season and intensifies efforts to boost domestic oilseed production, a new digital initiative is helping farmers access scientific guidance with unprecedented ease. The ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (ICAR-IIOR), Hyderabad, has launched ‘Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra’, an AI-powered advisory service available through WhatsApp, enabling oilseed growers across the country to receive instant, research-backed farming support in their preferred language.
The innovative platform was inaugurated on February 6, 2026, by the Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) during the National Oilseeds Conference in New Delhi. The initiative reflects ICAR’s growing emphasis on leveraging digital technologies to strengthen agricultural extension services and improve farmers’ access to scientific knowledge.
Designed to work through WhatsApp, one of the most widely used communication platforms in India, the service eliminates the need for farmers to download additional applications or navigate complex digital interfaces. Farmers can simply save the number +91 4024598180 as “Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra” and send their queries in any Indian language to receive immediate responses.
The AI-based chatbot offers expert guidance on a wide range of oilseed crops, including groundnut, mustard, soybean, sunflower, sesame, niger, and others. Farmers can seek advice on variety selection, sowing practices, nutrient management, pest and disease control, irrigation scheduling, seed availability, and post-harvest management. The service is available free of cost, round the clock, ensuring that farmers can access information whenever they need it.
According to Dr. R.K. Mathur, Director of ICAR-IIOR, the platform represents a significant milestone in making agricultural research more accessible to farmers. He noted that for the first time, the collective scientific expertise generated by ICAR’s oilseed research institutions has been made directly available to farmers nationwide through a multilingual AI-enabled system. By integrating advanced artificial intelligence with a vast repository of agricultural knowledge, the initiative seeks to bridge long-standing gaps related to distance, language, and accessibility.
The knowledge base powering Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra has been developed collaboratively by several leading ICAR institutions. These include the ICAR-National Soybean Research Institute (NSRI), Indore; ICAR-Indian Institute of Groundnut Research (IIGR), Junagadh; ICAR-Indian Institute of Rapeseed and Mustard Research (IIRMR), Bharatpur; and the Project Coordinating Unit for Sesame and Niger. This collaborative effort ensures that farmers receive crop-specific recommendations tailored to diverse agro-climatic conditions across India.
One of the key strengths of the platform is its ability to understand and respond to questions in regional languages. Using advanced language-processing capabilities, the chatbot can interpret farmers’ queries and provide precise recommendations based on validated scientific information. This multilingual approach is expected to significantly expand the reach of agricultural advisories, particularly among small and marginal farmers in rural areas.
The launch comes at a crucial time when India is striving to reduce its dependence on edible oil imports by increasing domestic oilseed production. Timely access to scientific information can play an important role in improving crop productivity, reducing losses caused by pests and diseases, and promoting better farm management practices.
Agricultural experts believe that digital tools such as Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra can complement traditional extension systems by providing immediate and personalized support to farmers. With smartphone usage and internet connectivity expanding rapidly in rural India, such technology-driven solutions are becoming increasingly important for disseminating agricultural knowledge at scale.
As the kharif season begins, ICAR has encouraged oilseed farmers, extension workers, and other stakeholders to make use of the service. By combining artificial intelligence with decades of agricultural research, Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra aims to empower farmers with reliable information and contribute to the nation’s broader goals of agricultural self-reliance and enhanced oilseed production.
Author: Shivam
Shivam Dwivedi is a senior journalist with extensive experience in research-driven journalism, policy communication, and multi-platform storytelling. His areas of interest include international relations, defence, science & technology, education, urban development, agriculture, spirituality, and environmental sustainability. His work focuses on in-depth analysis, public discourse, and impactful narratives across governance and development sectors, with a strong commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Contact: [email protected]
