Indian Precision Ag and the Need for Market Disruption

India has significant structural issues in it's agricultural sector.  The Indian government is investing a lot into cultivars that are more suited to the environment, looking at land holding practices for farmers, and increasingly focusing on precision agriculture as a means to increase the efficient, productive, and environmentally friendliness of Indian agriculture.  

One of the most significant structural barriers to increased agricultural productivity is the high cost of mechanization.  The average farm size in India is 2.5 hectares, which does not provide for economies of scale or purchasing power.  Thankfully, new disruptive business models at the village and regional level may change this by providing "mechanization as a service."  I visited rice farmers in India in January 2016 and they were very keen to get even rudimentary mechanization in the rice transplanting process.

This article provides a decent overview of some of the issues and is good background for anyone interested in the subject.