Across Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and West Bengal, GROW-Returns is going to enable 5,000 rural women to build agri-enterprises, impacting up to 500,000 farmers. Through AI-enabled training, local-language tools, and hands-on mentoring, women are stepping up as leaders, service providers, and market connectors.

What’s new?

We conducted a comprehensive Landscape Assessment Study across Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Maharashtra to understand the ecosystem for women-led agri-entrepreneurship.

The study combines surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and case documentation to explore opportunities, challenges, and support systems for rural women in agriculture.

Insights from this study will guide the design of AI-enabled incubation models, digital advisory tools, and context-specific interventions to empower rural women as successful agri-entrepreneurs.

With support from GFSI’s Mariam- Lakshyavati initiative, Heena is following her passions and steadily progressing toward success.

Heena grew up in a small rural village, living with her mother and younger sister after her father passed away in 2019. With limited income and a tiny room at her grandparents’ house, pursuing education and personal interests was a daily challenge.

Through the GFSI Mariam-Lakshyavati initiative, Heena received a bursary that covered her school fees and allowed her to buy books. This support made it possible for her to focus on her studies and explore her love for painting and reading, things that were difficult before due to financial constraints. She is now able to participate in school activities, improve academically, and develop her talents without the constant worry of expenses.

Grameen’s mentorship and guidance helped Heena plan for the future. With consistent support, she is building skills, gaining confidence, and shaping a path toward a successful career. The initiative provided not just financial aid, but a foundation that enables her to continue learning, growing, and aiming higher despite her circumstances.

India’s agricultural advisory landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by platforms like Bharat-VISTAAR and AgriStack. Yet technology alone cannot guarantee better farming outcomes. The pressing challenge is to institutionalize digital advisory services that are effective across regions, genders, and income groups.

At the National Policy Consultation on “From Evidence to Policy: Institutionalising Digital Advisory Services”, convened under the AgriPath Initiative, Grameen Foundation India presented insights from one of the first multi-country Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) on Digital Advisory Services and Sustainable Land Management Practices in Uttar Pradesh. The trial provided practical evidence on how digital advisory can scale effectively within public agricultural systems.

Key findings revealed that farmers adopt recommended practices more consistently when digital tools are combined with human support. This hybrid approach-built trust, increased uptake, and overcame behavioral and financial barriers that purely digital interventions could not address.

Participants explored strategies to embed inclusion and gender-responsive design into advisory systems. They highlighted persistent challenges for women farmers, including mobility limitations, restricted access, and unequal control over smartphones. The discussions emphasized integrating digital services with existing public extension systems rather than creating parallel structures.

The consultation translated evidence into actionable policy direction, including a 24-month roadmap for mainstreaming hybrid digital advisory within public systems. The overarching message was clear: digital transformation in agriculture must align technology with people, institutions, and everyday farming decisions.