Cultivating Change in Agricultural Education: The Rise of Tech-Driven Learning in India's Agriculture Universities

Highlights

• India’s agricultural sector is the backbone of its economy, employing nearly half the workforce and ensuring food security and rural livelihoods. Yet it faces mounting challenges—from climate change and resource constraints to the need for advanced technology. While India requires an estimated one million graduates in agriculture and allied fields, only half that number are currently available.
• To address this gap, the Government of India and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), with World Bank support, launched the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) in 2017. The initiative has strengthened 74 agricultural universities, modernizing curricula, introducing digital and experiential learning, and aligning programs with global standards.
• Between 2017 and 2022, enrollment in agricultural universities more than doubled. Female participation rose from 43.6% to 45.2%, marking progress in inclusivity. Overall, the project directly benefited 826,761 faculty and students—nearly half of them women (421,138).

India’s agricultural sector is the backbone of its economy, employing nearly half of the country’s workforce and contributing significantly to food security and rural livelihoods. The Green Revolution of the 1960s transformed India’s farming landscape, ushering in higher yields and self-sufficiency in food through modern inputs and new techniques.

Today, however, the sector faces mounting challenges—such as climate change, resource constraints, and the need for advanced technology. India must now prepare for this new era of agriculture that demands innovation and future-ready skills.

To meet these challenges, agricultural education in India needs to keep pace with the sector’s evolving needs. Over the years, the system has been slow to modernize, with curricula often not aligned with the demands of the changing market.

As a result, graduates lacked problem-solving skills and the technological expertise needed to address complex, interdisciplinary challenges. Moreover, undergraduate students, especially in urban areas, have been hesitant to opt for agriculture as a course of study owing to the perception that it was labor-intensive and unrewarding.

While India needs an estimated 10,00,000 graduates in agriculture and related fields, only half that number are available. “There just aren’t enough of us with the skills to make farming resilient and efficient,” admitted Bharthiban, a young veterinary student in Tamil Nadu.

Planting the Seeds of Reform

Under the project, ICAR has raised the country’s 74 agricultural universities to world standards, with improved curricula, innovative teaching, digital learning and forward-thinking classes.

These universities have now adopted a more multidisciplinary approach and shifted their focus to equipping their students with the skills needed by a changing industry.

Over 600 new market-oriented courses have been developed, covering areas like entrepreneurship, agri-business analytics, artificial intelligence, robotics, and precision agriculture. Seventy-nine disciplines have been redesigned to equip students for a competitive, modern world.

State-of-the-art labs give hands-on experience of the latest technology

Students are being trained in state-of-the-art labs, where they learn how to use GPS, drones and remote sensing. This is being done in close coordination with the private sector to ensure that the training equips the students with employable skills.

Twenty-five-year-old Gayathri, a graduate from the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore, beams with pride as she talks about her new knowledge. “I learnt about drone technology and its applications. I also learnt how to handle and operate drones and use them for spraying pesticides and fertilizers.” She now works as an expert trainer in drones but aspires to be an entrepreneur someday. “I want to start my own business in the drone industry,” she says, confident of a bright future.

Many universities have also established virtual classrooms to supplement traditional in-person teaching with online learning - one of the most effective ways to educate a large number of people at lower costs. Students in remote locations can now learn directly from national and international experts and see places they would have been otherwise have been unable to visit and watch events they would rarely encounter.

Speaking from her village home in Assam, Kavita, a 23-year-old agriculture student, explains how remote classes helped her learn new skills. “I can now interpret satellite imagery and operate drones remotely from my home. This helps farmers optimize the use of fertilizers and water, enabling them to conserve resources while safeguarding their crops.” Kavita ishopeful for the future of agriculture in Assam, which she says has the potential for a new green revolution.

In Tamil Nadu, Bharthiban, a student at the Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, has found that technological advancements have significantly enhanced opportunities in animal science. "Digital simulation models enable me to practice veterinary techniques that were previously inaccessible to students," he notes. "These experiences have given me confidence to meet the real-world challenges faced by our farmers."

The universities have also broadened the students’ horizons, giving them the opportunity to pursue internships abroad. Pragadeesh, from Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu, who is studying for his master’s degree in biotechnology, did his internship at the University of Newcastle in Australia. "I always had a passion for scientific research and innovation that could benefit small and marginal farmers with better technology,” he says. Others have attended training programs and internships in Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Germany and other countries.

Fostering a start-up culture

The project has also helped universities set up incubators to promote the spirit of entrepreneurship among the students. These incubators have helped students launch over 120 agricultural startups, attracting investment, generating employment and promoting innovative solutions for the sector.

In Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirappalli city, for example, Ramesh and his friends started a partnership firm that procured agricultural products directly from over 100 farmers, graded them and supplied them to over 25 institutions. “I am proud to say that we are first generation of agriculture entrepreneurs in Edapaddi village. We have now employed five more agriculture graduates and provide jobs to 20 other people as well.” Ramesh’s agri-business venture has an annual turnover of Rs. 2.5 crores which he plans to increase further to Rs. 30 crores by supplying his products throughout Tamil Nadu. He strongly recommends other agricultural graduates to start their own business.

A Transformation Takes Root

The transformation is already visible. A recent ICAR–World Bank survey in Assam, Odisha, and Karnataka found that 75-94% of students now view technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, GIS, and other digital tools as core competencies for modern agriculture.

According to Bekzod Shamsiev, Senior Economist and Farbod Youssefi, Senior Agribusiness Specialist, and Task Team Leaders of the project from the World Bank, “Students are now gaining hands-on experience with technologies such as AI for early disease detection, remote sensing for precision agriculture, and blockchain for transparent supply chains.” They are happy to note that “This shift toward practical, technology-driven learning is not only equipping students with cutting-edge skills, but is fundamentally transforming agricultural education in India, making it more dynamic, relevant, and aligned with the needs of a modern, digital economy.”

Towards an Evergreen Revolution

Mr. R C Agrawal, National Director, NAHEP and Former, DDG (Ag. Education) says that “The projecthas set a new standard for agricultural education in India, making it more relevant, skill-oriented, and attractive to young talent. By fostering a new generation of agricultural leaders equipped with modern skills, it is driving innovation and contributing to India’s economic growth and sustainability goals.”

As India harnesses the transformative power of technology and moves closer to its vision of a digital, food-secure future, students like Kavita, Bharthiban, Gayatri, Ramesh and many others are leading the way toward another agricultural revolution in the country.

IMPACT

• Between 2017 and 2022, enrollment in agricultural universities more than doubled—rising from over 25,000 to over 54,000 students.
• The share of female students climbed from 43.6% to 45.2%, signaling a new era of inclusivity.
• On-time graduation rates soared from 77.6% in 2017 to 96.1% in 2024 with female students achieving a remarkable 96.2% rate.
• Graduate placement rates rose from 42% in 2017 to 67% in 2024 and for women, the rate reached 71.1%.
• The quality of admitted students improved, with cut-off scores for applications doubling from 26% in 2017 to 41.8% in 2024.
• The competence of the faculty at Agricultural Universities increased substantially, evident from the number of external research grants secured by them, which skyrocketed from 28 in 2017-18 to 444 in 2023-24.
• The project reached 826,761 direct beneficiaries which included faculty and students, of which almost 50% (421,138) were women.