India has launched a nationwide WhatsApp-based artificial intelligence advisory service to help oilseed farmers access research-backed agricultural guidance directly through their mobile phones.
The new service, called Oilseeds Kisan Mitra, has been developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research. The chatbot is designed to provide farmers with timely advice on crop management, pest control, irrigation, variety selection, disease management, and post-harvest practices.
The initiative was launched on 6 February 2026 during the National Oilseeds Conference in New Delhi. It forms part of ICAR’s wider efforts to use digital technologies for agricultural extension and ensure that scientific research reaches farmers more directly and efficiently.
Oilseeds Kisan Mitra uses WhatsApp, one of the most widely used messaging platforms in India, making the service easy for farmers to access without downloading a separate mobile application or visiting a web portal. Farmers can save the number +91 4024598180 as Oilseeds Kisan Mitra and send their questions through WhatsApp.
The service provides support for major oilseed crops, including groundnut, mustard, sesame, sunflower, soybean, and niger. Farmers can submit questions in any Indian language and receive immediate responses based on scientific agricultural knowledge. This multilingual feature is especially important in a country where farmers work across diverse linguistic and regional contexts.
The chatbot is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, allowing farmers to seek guidance whenever they face crop-related challenges. This continuous access to advice can be useful during critical farming stages such as sowing, irrigation, pest outbreaks, disease control, harvesting, and post-harvest handling.
The AI system draws information from several ICAR research organisations. These include the ICAR-National Soybean Research Institute in Indore, the ICAR-Indian Institute of Groundnut Research in Junagadh, the ICAR-Indian Institute of Rapeseed and Mustard Research in Bharatpur, and the Project Coordinating Unit for Sesame and Niger.
By bringing together scientific knowledge from multiple research institutions, Oilseeds Kisan Mitra aims to provide reliable, crop-specific guidance to farmers across India’s different agro-climatic regions. The chatbot interprets farmer queries and matches them with relevant information from its knowledge base.
According to Dr R K Mathur, Director of ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research, the initiative is the first attempt in ICAR’s oilseed research system to deliver scientific knowledge to every farmer in their own language and on a platform they already use. The service is designed to reduce barriers related to language, cost, and access to expert agricultural advice.
The launch of the AI advisory service comes as India seeks to strengthen domestic oilseed production and reduce dependence on edible oil imports. Oilseeds are a major part of the country’s agricultural economy, and improving productivity can support farmer incomes, food security, and national agricultural self-reliance.
Digital advisory platforms are becoming increasingly important in modern agriculture. By using artificial intelligence, institutions can deliver faster and more personalised guidance to farmers. This can help improve decision-making at the farm level and support better crop outcomes.
Oilseeds Kisan Mitra also reflects the growing role of AI in agricultural extension. Traditional extension systems often face challenges in reaching every farmer at the right time, especially across large rural areas. A WhatsApp-based chatbot can help close this gap by providing instant access to practical information.
As the kharif sowing season begins, ICAR has encouraged oilseed farmers and agricultural stakeholders to use the service throughout the crop cycle. Farmers can use the chatbot to obtain advice on preparation, sowing, crop protection, input use, irrigation, harvesting, and post-harvest practices.
The introduction of Oilseeds Kisan Mitra marks an important step in India’s digital agriculture journey. By combining artificial intelligence, multilingual support, and WhatsApp-based access, the service has the potential to make research-backed oilseed farming advice more accessible to farmers across the country.
The initiative shows how technology can support agricultural transformation by connecting scientific institutions with farmers in a simple and practical way. With wider adoption, Oilseeds Kisan Mitra could help improve crop management, support higher oilseed production, and strengthen India’s efforts to reduce reliance on imported edible oils.
