The government on Friday released the 24th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), transferring over ₹18,690 crore directly to more than 9.34 crore eligible farmers across the country through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.
The instalment was released on October 30 at Banaskantha, Gujarat. With this, the total amount disbursed to eligible farmer families under the scheme has crossed ₹4.64 lakh crore through 24 instalments, according to a government press release.
The scheme aims to strengthen farmers’ income security by providing direct financial assistance and ensuring transparent delivery of benefits without intermediaries.
PM-KISAN continuation approved until 2030-31
In July 2026, the Union Cabinet approved the continuation of the PM-KISAN Scheme from 2026-27 to 2030-31, with a total financial outlay of ₹3.15 lakh crore.
The approval reiterates the government’s commitment to farmers’ welfare and recognises their prosperity as the foundation of the nation’s prosperity.
The Union Budget 2026-27 has allocated ₹60,000 crore for the scheme.
₹6,000 annual assistance to eligible farmer families
Launched on February 24, 2019, PM-KISAN is a centrally sponsored scheme that provides assured income support to landholding farmer families across the country with cultivable land.
Under the scheme, each eligible farmer family receives annual financial assistance of ₹6,000 in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 each, directly credited to Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts.
The assistance enables farmers to make timely investments in seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, agricultural machinery and other agricultural requirements. It also helps enhance productive capacity, reduce dependence on informal credit and strengthen the financial stability of rural households.
The scheme aims to increase the income of small and marginal farmers by supporting agricultural inputs, improving crop health and productivity, and ensuring continuity of agricultural activities.
PM-KISAN is among the largest Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) initiatives globally.
To receive benefits, farmers must have their land records seeded on the PM-KISAN portal, link their bank accounts with Aadhaar and complete e-KYC verification.
Beneficiary identification and transparency
State Governments are responsible for identifying eligible farmer households and developing a comprehensive beneficiary database. The database includes details such as name, age, category, Aadhaar number, bank account information and mobile number.
States ensure the accuracy of records to prevent duplicate payments. The records are regularly updated, digitised and linked with Aadhaar and bank account information to facilitate seamless DBT of benefits.
Lists of eligible beneficiaries are publicly displayed at the village level to promote transparency and allow farmers who may have been inadvertently excluded to seek inclusion through appropriate grievance redressal mechanisms.
States and Union Territories also undertake recovery proceedings for benefits disbursed to ineligible individuals, including income tax payers, government employees, public sector undertaking (PSU) personnel and holders of constitutional posts.
As of December 2025, a total of ₹416.75 crore had been recovered from ineligible beneficiaries across the country.
Multi-tier monitoring and grievance redressal
The implementation of PM-KISAN is monitored through a multi-tiered institutional framework at the national, state and district levels.
At the national level, the review mechanism is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, while State and District Monitoring Committees supervise implementation in their respective jurisdictions.
Farmers can register grievances through the PM-KISAN portal and the Centralized Public Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS).
During FY 2024–25, a total of 24,605 grievances were recorded on the PM-KISAN portal.
Digital infrastructure strengthens service delivery
PM-KISAN uses a farmer-centric digital infrastructure to streamline access and improve transparency in benefit delivery.
Aadhaar-based authentication facilitates secure beneficiary identification and payment verification. Farmers can complete e-KYC through three methods: OTP-based authentication, Biometric authentication and Face authentication.
The PM-KISAN web portal serves as the central digital platform for beneficiary registration, verification and data management. It maintains a unified national database of farmers and facilitates fund transfers through integration with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS).
The portal also enables real-time monitoring of financial transactions across the country and provides location-wise lists of beneficiary farmers.
The PM-KISAN mobile application, launched in 2020, extends these services to mobile users. It enables farmers to undertake self-registration, track the status of benefit transfers and complete e-KYC verification.
In 2023, the application was upgraded with a Face Authentication feature, allowing farmers to complete e-KYC by scanning their faces without requiring OTP or fingerprint-based verification.
AI-enabled chatbot provides assistance in 11 languages
The government introduced Kisan-eMitra, an AI-enabled chatbot integrated with the PM-KISAN digital ecosystem, in September 2023.
Developed with technical support from the EkStep Foundation and BHASHINI, the chatbot provides farmers with real-time information on payments, registrations and eligibility under the scheme in multiple Indian languages.
The platform offers round-the-clock assistance in 11 major languages: Hindi, English, Tamil, Bengali, Odia, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, Telugu, Marathi and Kannada.
Through voice- and text-based queries, farmers can check their application status, track payment updates and access scheme-related information.
Strengthening farmers’ income security
The release of the 24th instalment reinforces PM-KISAN’s role in strengthening farmers’ income security through timely and direct financial assistance.
With cumulative disbursements exceeding ₹4.64 lakh crore, the scheme continues to support agricultural investments and rural household stability.
Its technology-enabled delivery system promotes transparency, accountability and wider access, while the approved continuation until 2030-31 underscores the government’s long-term commitment to farmer welfare.
By strengthening farmers’ capacity to invest in agricultural inputs and sustain farming activities, PM-KISAN contributes to inclusive agricultural development and prosperity for India’s farming community.
-PIB Inputs
