The Centre’s income support programme for farmers, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), has disbursed more than Rs 4.27 lakh crore across 22 instalments since its launch in February 2019. Under the scheme, eligible cultivable land-holding farmers receive Rs 6,000 annually in three equal instalments through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts.
During the release of the 21st instalment on November 19, 2025, over 9.35 crore farmers received financial assistance, according to an official statement from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare dated March 24, 2026. The programme aims to supplement farmers’ income and support agricultural investments amid rising input costs and uncertainties.
Independent Study
The Ministry said multiple evaluation studies have highlighted the scheme’s positive impact on the rural economy. An independent study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) found that PM-KISAN has contributed to rural economic growth, eased credit constraints, and enabled farmers to invest more in agricultural inputs while improving their capacity to take calculated risks.
Comprehensive Feedback
Feedback collected through Kisan Call Centres (KCC) indicates that more than 93 per cent of beneficiaries utilised the funds for agriculture-related activities. Similarly, an impact assessment by the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO) of NITI Aayog revealed that over 92 per cent of beneficiary farmers spent the assistance on essential inputs such as seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, which are particularly important in the face of rising input costs and weather-related uncertainties. Around 85 per cent of beneficiaries reported an increase in agricultural income, along with reduced dependence on informal credit during emergencies.
"This study demonstrates the scheme's contribution to India's progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals related to poverty reduction, food security, gender equity, and institutional transparency," the Ministry highlighted.
PM-KISAN Portal
To enhance accessibility, the government has provided a dedicated “Farmers Corner” on the PM-KISAN portal, enabling beneficiaries to check their status and payment details. These services are also available through Common Service Centres across the country.
PM-KISAN AI Chatbot
In addition, a voice-based AI chatbot, Kisan e-Mitra, has been deployed to address farmer queries round the clock in 11 languages. The chatbot has handled over 95 lakh queries from more than 53 lakh farmers so far, offering information on eligibility, payments and beneficiary status.
"Further, considering the large beneficiary base of the scheme, to promptly address the general queries and grievances raised by the beneficiaries, a voice-based PM-KISAN AI Chatbot (Kisan e-Mitra) was developed. This Chatbot provides quick, accurate, and clear responses to farmers' queries round the clock in their native languages, making the system more accessible and user-friendly. It is accessible on all platforms such as web, mobile, etc. The Kisan eMitra Chatbot currently operates in 11 languages—English, Hindi, Odia, Tamil, Bengali, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, Kannada, Telugu, and Marathi. So far, over 95 lakh queries of more than 53 lakh farmers have been addressed. This chatbot also provides information about farmer’s beneficiary status and payment details," the Ministry explained.
Aadhaar authentication remains mandatory for registration under the scheme, with payments routed through the Aadhaar Based Payment System directly into linked bank accounts. The government said it continues to conduct saturation drives in coordination with states, Union Territories, Common Service Centres and India Post Payments Bank to ensure Aadhaar seeding and wider coverage.
The details were provided by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on March 24, 2026.
