Why Agricultural Innovation Fails to Reach Farmers in India
Agricultural technology has long been seen as the answer to low farm productivity, climate vulnerability, and the challenges faced by India’s smallholder farmers. But despite waves of innovation, most technologies fail to scale, falter at adoption, or bypass the farmer altogether. Why does this happen? And what would it take to change that?
This discussion brings together candid reflections from those who’ve built solutions on the ground: from drone-based spraying and rice transplanting machines to organic farming collectives and consumer cooperatives. Speakers unpack missteps in product design, distribution models, affordability, and the assumption that innovation alone creates value. They also speak about the complexities of working with government, the disconnect between lab and land, and the need to embed empathy and local nuance into every step of the innovation process.
What emerges is a hard-hitting, deeply reflective conversation on failure, not as a “buzzword”, but as a lived experience. The panel offers hard-won lessons on what it really means to innovate with, not just for, farmers and how India’s agricultural future may depend not just on big breakthroughs, but on slow, systemic change rooted in trust and understanding.
