As part of the AI Impact Summit 2026 announcements, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will release the much awaited Bharat-VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources) service. Bharat-VISTAAR is a multilingual AI-driven digital platform designed to deliver real-time, personalised agricultural advisory directly to farmers — all through just a phone call.
Announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2026-27 earlier, the tool integrates AgriStack portals, ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) packages of practices, weather data from IMD, market prices, government schemes, soil health, pest alerts, and more into a unified, voice-first ecosystem. The launch takes place at the State Institute of Agricultural Management (SIAM) in Jaipur, followed by a press briefing and field visit to Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University (SKNAU), Jobner.
How Bharat-VISTAAR works: Key features explored
Farmers can access the BHarat-VISTAAR platform 24/7 in a simple, accessible way:
- Bharati AI assistant: Farmers can dial the dedicated helpline 155261 from any mobile or landline (including basic feature phones) and speak naturally in their local language to get instant answers on crop planning, weather forecasts, mandi prices, pest/disease management, soil health, government schemes, eligibility, credit, insurance, and localised advisories.
- Multilingual support: The service is available in 22+ regional Indian languages (including Hindi, English, and major state languages) for interface, audio responses, and content.
- Additional access modes: The service can also be accessed via the website (vistaar.da.gov.in) and mobile site chatbot. Bharat-VISTAAR will also be available on Android devices via a dedicated app.
- AI Customised alerts: The service uses advanced machine learning for customised alerts on crop health, weather risks, and decision support to enhance productivity and reduce losses.
How will it benefit farmers?
The government says that Bharat-VISTAAR aims to empower over 140 million farmers by closing the digital divide, especially in rural and low-literacy areas. It promotes better decision-making, risk reduction, higher profitability, and sustainable practices.
The government has allocated Rs 150 crore for the initiative in the upcoming financial year. In Phase 1, it launches in Hindi and English, targeting farmers in states like Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat, and others, with rapid expansion planned.
Officials describe it as a round-the-clock “digital agriculture expert,” aligning with the vision of ‘AI for All’ and making expert knowledge accessible even to those without smartphones.
Farmers can start using the service immediately by calling 155261 or visiting vistaar.da.gov.in.