Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], November 3 : Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, while launching NITI Aayog's 'Re-imagining Agriculture: A Roadmap for Frontier Technology-led Transformation' prepared by the NITI Frontier Tech Hub, said that it is an important blueprint to prepare the country's agriculture sector for the future, the Gujarat CMO stated in a press release.
The Chief Minister said that it is a matter of pride for the State that NITI Aayog's significant national-level document aimed at promoting technology for the welfare of farmers has been launched from Gujarat. He added that this roadmap will serve as a foundation for fulfilling the dreams of the farmers through technology-driven development.
The Chief Minister stated that this roadmap envisions integrating data, connectivity, and intelligence directly into the agricultural management system rather than limiting technology to machinery alone. He also expressed that the main directives of this roadmap are completely in line with Gujarat's vision for the agriculture sector.
He mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has identified GYAN- Garib (the Poor), Yuva (Youth), Annadata (Farmers), and Nari Shakti (Women Power) as the four pillars of Viksit Bharat. One of the pillars of this roadmap is dedicated to 'Annadata' (farmers) and marks another significant step towards their empowerment.
He emphasised that Gujarat has played a pioneering role in implementing several key initiatives of NITI Aayog. He said that under the guidance of NITI Aayog, four growth hubs are being developed in the country, and the Surat Economic Region is one of them. The process of developing six districts of this region as growth hubs has already begun, the press release said.
The Chief Minister highlighted that, following the pattern of NITI Aayog, Gujarat has also established a state-level think tank, the Gujarat State Institution of Transformation (GRIT). He further stated that through GRIT, the State has recently launched Regional Economic Master Plans for the development of six economic regions.
Additionally, the Chief Minister mentioned that to realise Prime Minister's vision of Viksit Bharat@2047, the State Government has prepared a strong roadmap titled Viksit Gujarat@2047, in which NITI Aayog's valuable guidance has played a vital role.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the efforts of the State Government in promoting agricultural development through extensive use of technology and mechanisation.
He said that Gujarat has encouraged crop diversification and sustainable agriculture in alignment with the policies of the Government of India. The State has also taken several progressive steps to make farming more productive using modern tools and technology.
The Chief Minister said that for promoting digital agriculture, schemes like the National e-Governance Plan for Agriculture, Digital Crop Survey, and Farmer Registry have been implemented.
Under Digital Agriculture, an i-Khedut portal has been developed to provide online application and payment facilities, enabling farmers to easily access the benefits of various welfare schemes of the State Government, the press release stated.
He stated that Gujarat aims to build a dedicated digital infrastructure to make digital agriculture more successful. With the help of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things, information related to soil productivity, crop diseases, and nutrient levels will now be available more quickly and accurately.
The Chief Minister added that efforts are also underway to introduce innovations in next-generation seeds, equipment, tools, and inputs to reduce farming costs and prevent environmental damage.
On this occasion, NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam, distinguished member Debjani Ghosh, and Program Director Neelam Patel, in their addresses, praised Gujarat's agricultural progress, technological farming, and digital infrastructure.
The event was attended by Principal Advisor to Chief Minister Hasmukh Adhia, Additional Chief Secretary of Agriculture Department Anju Sharma, Co-founder of ATE Chandra Foundation Amit Chandra, along with senior officials and invited guests, the press release said.