New Delhi is buzzing with anticipation as Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to headline a key webinar on Friday. Titled ‘Agriculture and Rural Transformation,’ this virtual event via video conferencing will unpack the latest Union Budget’s bold moves for farmers and rural economies.
A senior PMO official confirmed the address, spotlighting eight dedicated webinar sessions under the theme. These cover four critical sectors: farming, livestock and dairy, fisheries, and rural livelihoods. The initiative follows the budget presentation, aiming to translate fiscal promises into actionable strategies.
High-value agriculture takes center stage. Discussions will highlight the untapped potential of crops like cashew, coconut, sandalwood, agarwood, almonds, walnuts, and pine nuts. Experts will explore AI-driven digital public infrastructure for agriculture and opportunities from India Expansion initiatives.
Sessions dive deeper into private investments in livestock value chains, integrated development of reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars for fisheries, strengthening coastal fisheries, and expanding market access for rural women entrepreneurs through SHE-Marts. These efforts align with the budget’s push for tech-enabled farming and income boosts.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman allocated Rs 1,62,671 crore to agriculture in 2026-27, up 7% from the previous year’s revised estimates of Rs 1,51,853 crore. This surge from Rs 21,933.50 crore in 2013-14 underscores India’s commitment to modernizing farming.
The budget prioritizes high-value crops in coastal and hilly regions—coconuts, sandalwood, cocoa, cashews in coastal belts; agarwood in the Northeast; almonds, walnuts, and pine nuts in mountains. A new coconut development scheme targets replacing old trees to aid 3 crore livelihoods, including 1 crore farmers.
Sitharaman framed these as part of a roadmap to achieve the third duty: enhancing farmer incomes through productivity and entrepreneurship. PM Modi’s webinar promises to ignite discussions on how these measures will transform rural India, fostering jobs, innovation, and prosperity.