Indian agriculture, however, is better equipped to deal with climate-related risks than it was a decade ago, says Wiebusch in an interview with The Economic Times Digital. The farmers are increasingly acknowledging climate volatility as a long-term challenge, leading to greater adoption of climate-smart farming practices, efficient water management, and technologies designed to mitigate risk, he says.
According to him, the priority now is preparedness, ensuring timely access to quality inputs, agronomic advice, weather intelligence, and sustainable solutions.
Notably, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has revised its Southwest Monsoon rainfall forecast to 90% of the long-period average (LPA), amid concerns over a developing El Niño. The weather phenomenon has an estimated 80% chance of emerging between June and August and is expected to persist through November.
Overall agri ecosystem
Addressing recent geopolitical tensions and supply-chain disruptions, Wiebusch underscores the need for resilient agricultural value chains. “Smallholder farmers are often the most exposed and vulnerable to volatility in input availability, logistics, and commodity pricing. In response, the industry is accelerating diversification, regional manufacturing, and supply-chain resilience strategies. India is becoming increasingly strategic in this transition, both as a manufacturing and innovation hub. Strengthening local capabilities and diversified supply networks will be critical not only for farmer resilience but also for long-term global food security,” he says.
Wiebusch says that while India has made significant strides in agriculture, sustaining faster growth will require effective execution at scale. With farmers under pressure to produce more, using fewer resources amid growing climate uncertainty, he believes the next opportunity lies in accelerating the adoption of science-based solutions through farmer-centric ecosystems that combine high-performing seeds, crop protection, mechanisation, digital advisory, financing and market access. “With our digital platforms like FarmRise, which recently crossed 5 million registered farmers in India, we are trying to help bridge this gap by improving access to timely agronomic intelligence and farmer services at scale,” he adds.
Digital agriculture scope
Wiebusch says India has the potential to become one of the world’s most scalable digital agriculture markets because of rapid smartphone penetration, strong agri-tech innovation, and increasing digitization across rural ecosystems. However, technology adoption will depend on delivering clearer outcomes for our farmers – improving productivity, optimizing input use, reducing risk, and strengthening profitability, he adds.“The future of Indian agriculture will increasingly be “phygital”—combining on-ground agronomy expertise with AI-enabled and data-driven solutions,” says Wiebusch.
On regenerative agriculture, Wiebusch says large-scale adoption in India will depend on its economic viability for farmers. Sustainable practices gain traction when they improve productivity, optimise input use, reduce risks, and enhance long-term resilience.