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The Indian government has taken some initiatives to improve the sector. The World Bank has also identified certain agricultural challenges in India. Limited water resources and poor irrigation are some of the identified challenges. Developing agricultural technology is a way to resolve these issues. Research and development needs to be emphasised. The National Agriculture Technology Project and the National Agriculture Innovation Project initiated by the central government aims to augment techno-logical interface in the sector. At the time of India’s independence, only a handful of farmers used machinery like tractors or tillers. The government used to import agricultural tractors for land reclamation and development. After intro-duction of irrigation facilities and high yielding varieties of wheat in the early sixties, the situation changed for the better. Diesel engines, electric motors, irrigation pumps, sprayers and dusters, land development machinery, tractors, spare parts, power tillers, post-harvest and processing machinery are now being used extensively in the Indian agricultural sector.

Different technology based agricultural practices are now being used in India. The Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) model has become fruitful in the states of Assam and Uttar Pradesh. For better delivery of irrigation, the World Bank is supporting the government for developing an enhanced irrigation network. There are other technology based projects which are aimed at enhancing conservation of ground water. The Rajasthan Agriculture Competitiveness Project is an example. The government is highlighting sustainable agricultural practices. It is also trying to connect to farmers through digital channels and trying to use technology to enhance the knowledge base of the farmers. A lot of agriculture based mobile-apps have been introduced in the market.