Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (2025): Assessing Convergence-Based Agricultural Reforms – IMPRI Impact And Policy Research Institute

Policy Update
Raushan Raj

Background 

India has developed a large number of agricultural and farmer-welfare schemes covering income support, crop insurance, irrigation, credit, infrastructure, and allied activities. However, their implementation often involves different ministries, departments, and delivery mechanisms, creating coordination challenges at the district level. One such challenge is the absence of a single district-level mechanism to coordinate multiple agricultural schemes and services. 

To address this issue, and drawing inspiration from the NITI Aayog’s Aspirational District Programme, the government of India, in its Union Budget for 2025, announced the development of 100 Aspirational Agricultural Districts under “PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PM-DDKY).” Through the convergence of existing schemes and specialised measures, the programme will cover 100 districts with low productivity, moderate crop intensity and below-average credit parameters.

The government has specified five major objectives of the scheme: enhancing agricultural productivity, increasing adoption of crop diversification and sustainable agricultural practices, augmenting post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block levels, improving irrigation facilities and facilitating availability of long-term and short-term credit. The programme is expected to benefit approximately 1.7 crore farmers.

Formally approved by the Union Cabinet on 16 July 2025, this scheme is for six years, running from 2025-26 to 2030-31. The Cabinet’s approval note described it as the first of its kind to focus exclusively on agriculture and allied sectors among India’s district-convergence programmes. The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers  Welfare administers PM-DDKY, with NITI Aayog playing a review and guidance role. Unlike a centrally sponsored scheme, PM-DDKY does not carry a distinct budget line of its own; instead, it is designed to redirect and coordinate the delivery of 36 existing central schemes, spanning 11 central government departments, into the 100 selected districts, alongside relevant state schemes and private-sector partnerships. 

Functioning 

District Selection:

The 100 districts are identified using three key criteria: agricultural productivity, cropping intensity, and agricultural credit disbursement. However, the distribution of these districts across various States and Union Territories is primarily determined by their respective proportions of net cropped area and operational holdings. As per figures provided by the Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), Uttar Pradesh accounts for the highest concentration with 12 districts, followed by Maharashtra with 9.

Governance Architecture:

The administration of PM-DDKY is facilitated through a multi-tiered committee framework. At the local level, a District Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana Samiti, presided over by the District Collector and inclusive of farmer representation, is tasked with drafting a District Agriculture and Allied Activities Plan in harmony with national goals. Correspondingly, at the State Level, a State Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana Samiti headed by the Chief Secretary of the State is established to review and monitor the District Agriculture and Allied Activities Plan. At the National level, governance is overseen by two distinct coordinating committees: one executive committee, headed by the Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare; second, a monitoring committee, headed by the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. 

Monitoring:

The progress of each Dhan-Dhaanya district will be checked every month using key indicators through a dashboard developed by NITI Aayog. Districts will be ranked based on their progress and results. A central committee of ministries, NITI Aayog, and states will review the scheme every three months. NITI Aayog will also check district plans and guide districts to make them complete and linked with the scheme’s goals. Central Nodal Officers will visit districts regularly to review their work. In addition, Central and State Agricultural Universities will support each district as technical partners and provide expert guidance on agriculture-related activities. The broader objective is that improvements in the selected districts will contribute to improvements in national agricultural indicators.

Financing Model:

While PM-DDKY lacks an independent budgetary appropriation, it functions by redirecting resources from 36 established central schemes, including flagship programs like PM-KISHAN, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, and the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. In addition to these central funds, contributions from state governments and the private sector are actively encouraged to support the program’s implementation.

Performance

Since PM-DDKY was approved in July 2025 and launched in October 2025, sufficient evidence is not yet available to assess its agricultural outcomes. The available evidence therefore relates primarily to institutional rollout and stakeholder engagement. The Prime Minister dedicated over ₹5,450 crore in related projects (agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries) at the launch of PM-DDKY in October 2025. Further, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and with Intellecap Advisory Services, organised a two-day PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana “FPO Sangam” in New Delhi.

The event brought together more than 72 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) from 15 states and 33 of the 100 districts covered under PM-DDKY. Senior government officials, financial institutions, private-sector buyers and agri-technology firms also participated. The sessions covered several areas, including integrated and natural farming, oilseed and beekeeping value chains, protected cultivation, micro-irrigation, institutional financing and digital agriculture. The Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, highlighted the role of FPOs in the implementation of PM-DDKY. The discussions also covered productivity, better use of irrigation, crop diversification and improved post-harvest management in the participating districts. 

Again, on 13 February 2026, the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, in collaboration with  the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India and the Gates Foundation, organised a high-level ‘Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Conclave’ in New Delhi on “Leveraging PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (DDKY) for Farmer Prosperity.” The conclave brought together government officials, corporate CSR leaders, financial institutions, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and development partners. Discussions focused on CSR financing, climate-resilient agriculture, FPO partnerships, technology adoption, value chains, and market linkages. The event aimed to strengthen public-private cooperation for effective implementation of DDKY across its 100 districts.

Impact 

Since PMDDKY has not finished even one full farming year, it would be better to look at it in terms of structure and future potential, not real results yet. Four dimensions are worth distinguishing:

First, on institutions, PM-DDKY represents a significant attempt to apply the convergence approach, particularly to agriculture at the district level. Earlier programs like the Aspirational District Programme (ADP) asked districts to handle many areas together: health, education, roads, banking. PM-DDKY only focuses on farming and related work, which is easier to manage since the departments involved are closer to each other.

Second, on governance, like ADP, PM-DDKY gives planning power to district-level Dhan- Dhaanya Samitis, with District Collectors leading the work, even though money and rules come from the centre. The extent to which district-level planning translates into genuine local decision-making will become clearer as district plans and implementation data become available.

Third, on distribution, the scheme includes at least one district from every state and Union Territory. As a result, its selection covers districts across the country rather than focusing only on districts with the lowest agricultural performance. In Bihar, seven districts have been selected, including Madhubani and Darbhanga. Both districts are located in the Mithila region and are affected by recurring floods and low agricultural productivity. Their inclusion places them within the district-level planning and coordination framework of the scheme. 

Fourth, on private partners, PM-DDKY has involved government, private, philanthropic, and development organisations in its early activities. Within the first six months, FPO Sangam and the CSR Conclave were held with the Gates Foundation and UNDP. These events brought different groups together to discuss farmer organisations, corporate social responsibility, and support for agriculture. The events show the participation of these organisations in activities linked to PM-DDKY.

Emerging Issues and Challenges 

Convergence of Existing Schemes:

The PM-DDKY scheme uses resources from 36 central schemes amounting to about ₹24,000 crore every year. Such an effort is likely to facilitate convergence of various government schemes in the selected districts. However, the success in the form of effective use of the converging schemes would indicate whether the process is helping achieve better access to support and delivery of the services at the ground level.

Coordination Amongst Various Departments:

There are 36 schemes under 11 central ministries involved in the implementation of the scheme, apart from state government, district administration and others. It would require coordinated effort amongst all these various departments to make the scheme work effectively. The differences in the processes, reporting system and timelines could need to be managed at the district level. The committees formed under the scheme are meant to coordinate such efforts, and their proper functioning shall determine the success of the scheme.

Coordination with Other Schemes/Programmes:

The implementation of the PM-DDKY Scheme is concurrent with the implementation of schemes like Aspirational Districts Programme, Aspirational Blocks Programme and Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PM-JUGA). Thus, some of the districts could be implementing multiple such schemes. The coordination amongst such programmes would facilitate proper planning of activities and ensure that there is no overlap in reporting and implementation of these programmes.

Way Forward

Greater public access to information can help in tracking the progress of PM-DDKY. A district-wise dashboard showing progress on the scheme’s 117 key indicators could make information easier to access for government officials, researchers and the public. Such a dashboard could also help districts compare their progress and identify areas where more attention may be required.

State-level alignment should also receive attention, particularly in states with several PM-DDKY districts. State governments can align their agricultural and rural development programmes with the District Agriculture and Allied Activities Plans prepared under PM-DDKY. In Bihar, for instance, seven districts have been selected under the scheme, including Madhubani and Darbhanga. State programmes related to areas such as flood management, irrigation and crop diversification in the Mithila region could be mapped against the priorities identified in the respective district plans. This can help ensure that state and Central resources support common priorities and reduce the possibility of duplication.

As implementation continues, the government could also assess the results of convergence at the district level. Along with tracking the resources brought together under PM-DDKY, attention could be given to changes in service delivery, agricultural activities, and other selected indicators. This would provide a better understanding of how the convergence approach is working across the 100 districts.

Conclusion 

PM-DDKY adopts a district-based model that would enable various agriculture and other allied-sector programmes to converge. Through its emphasis on convergence, district-based planning, and periodic monitoring, it could play an instrumental role in improving the coordination within the existing government initiatives. However, it will only be clear after some time with regard to the extent of success of such an approach.

The performance of District Dhan-Dhaanya Samities, the progress on the 117 indicators and the coordination between various government departments would be crucial in determining its success. The participation of the private and philanthropic sector along with the development partners in the programme might prove helpful. In general, the forthcoming Rabi and Kharif seasons could reveal the implementation process of PM-DDKY in the selected districts.

References 

NITI Aayog. (n.d.). Aspirational districts programme. Government of India. https://www.niti.gov.in/aspirational-districts-programme

Press Information Bureau. (2025, July 16). Cabinet approves the PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana. Government of India. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?id=154909&NoteId=154909&ModuleId=3&reg=48&lang=2

Press Information Bureau. (2025, December). PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana FPO Sangam Day 1 concludes in New Delhi. Government of India. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2201150&reg=48&lang=2

Press Information Bureau. (2025, October 11). Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launches ‘Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana’. Government of India. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2177834&reg=48&lang=2

All India Radio. (2026, February). Ministry of Agriculture hosts CSR Conclave on theme of leveraging PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana for farmer prosperity. Government of India. https://newsonair.gov.in/ministry-of-agriculture-hosts-csr-conclave-on-theme-of-leveraging-pm-dhan-dhaanya-krishi-yojana-for-farmer-prosperity/

Indian Institute of Spices Research. (2025, October 7). [Title of the document/report]. Indian Council of Agricultural Research. https://spices.res.in/spicenet/upload/202510071.pdf

About the Contributor 

Raushan Raj is a Research and Editorial Intern at the Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI) and a second-year Master’s student in Defence and Strategic Studies at the Central University of Gujarat, specializing in International Relations, Geopolitics, and Non-traditional Security, with a background in Political Science.

Acknowlwdgements 

The author extends sincere gratitude to the IMPRI team for their expert guidance and to the reviewers. 

Disclaimer

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of IMPRI. 

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