Digital Agriculture and Information and Communication Technology for Ensuring Sustainable Development in India: A Review

Abstract

India is described as an agricultural powerhouse on a global scale due to its vast agri-ecological diversity. Even though attaining food adequacy in production, India still faces issues related resource-intensive agriculture and less farmer productivity, raising poverty and malnutrition. The involvement of information and communication technology (ICT) in evolving agriculture has become even more essential. It assists farmers with timely information related to environmental conditions, soil health, and crop management and beyond it, where it has the potential to stimulate growth in agricultural productivity and promote sustainable farming through informed decision-making and resource management. This paper reviews the relevance of ICTs in farming for rural development, food security, and resilience. Newer technologies such as 5G, AI, and cloud computing provide exciting new possibilities to explore for a robust vision for Indian agriculture that is organised, data-oriented, and productive. It can stimulate economic development through improved access to markets and knowledge sharing, with ICT playing an important role in supporting rural communities. However, challenges such as limited connectivity and low digital literacy must be addressed to facilitate widespread adoption of ICTs. ICT in agriculture draws parallels to the "Third Green Revolution," where there is a need to strive towards more affirmative inclusion of small farm households and women, especially amongst developing countries. Enhancing the agenda of sustainability through ICT and sustainable practices will be a major strategy in creating ecological balance, environmental health, and resilience for agricultural systems for the future.