How Satellite Remote Sensing is Quietly Transforming the Sector

In Gujarat, a cotton farmer receives an app notification: "Early signs of bollworm stress detected, take preventive measures."

- DR SAT KUMAR TOMER, Co-founder & CEO, Satyukt Analytics

In West Bengal, a paddy grower is alerted: "Water stress identified, initiates timely irrigation." Meanwhile in Nashik, a grape farmer accesses his mobile app to find low nitrogen and phosphorus levels, along with a customised nutrient recommendation. Powered by satellite remote sensing, the app delivers timely insights and actionable solutions, helping farmers make informed decisions exactly when they matter most. This isn't the future; it's already happening, quietly, in the hinterland of India.

Satellite remote sensing was once only available to climate scientists or urban planners accessing previously scarce data sources. But now it is increasingly being used by farmers and the businesses and organisations that serve them, enabling practical solutions to one of India’s biggest development challenges: the need for effective ways to increase productivity, resilience and inclusivity in agriculture. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the emergence of this technology is that it's having a particularly strong impact on smallholders, who comprise almost 85 per cent of the country’s farmers.

Why Indian Agriculture Needs a Digital Uplift

In India, agriculture supports the livelihoods of almost 55 per cent of the rural population, and the agriculture sector contributes about 18 per cent of the gross value added in the Indian economy. The sector has approximately 146 million farmers (most with landholdings of less than 1 hectare). These smallholders face increasing risks from climate variability, rising input costs and soil degradation.