Mechanisation in Indian Agriculture:
Bridging Skill Gaps and Empowering Women with Labour-Saving Technologies
Agriculture in India stands at the crossroads of tradition and innovation. As rural-to-urban migration intensifies and labour availability diminishes, the need for mechanisation in agriculture has become more pressing than ever. The comprehensive study, “Mechanisation in Agriculture: Assessment of Skill Development Gap and Adoption of Labour-Saving Technologies’’, dives into thisissue with empirical depth across five Indian states: Assam, Gujarat, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
Why Agricultural Mechanisation Matters
India’s agricultural sector contributes 18.8% to the country’s Gross Value Added and is the largest employer of the workforce. Yet, the mechanisation level stands at only 40%, significantly lower than countries like China (59.5%), Brazil (75%), and the United States (95%). With increasing urbanisation and rising labour costs, mechanisation emerges not just as a necessity but a lifeline for the future of Indian farming.
Farm Power Availability: Gains and Gaps
While the government has promoted mechanisation through initiatives like the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM), the increase in farm power availability from 2.02 kW/ha in 2016-17 to 2.49 kW/ha in 2018-19 has not been matched by a proportional growth in skilled manpower. This mismatch hinders the efficient utilisation of agricultural equipment and calls for urgent upskilling at the grassroots level.
Skill Gaps Across States
The study identifies acute skill shortages among machine operators, particularly in rural villages, where informal training, mainly through friends and family, has become the new normal. For example, in Assam, 82.18% of respondents reported having to bring operators from outside their village, leading to delayed cultivation or even missed crop cycles.
In Uttar Pradesh, while tractors and seed drills are commonly rented, irrigation and weeding remain largely manual. Meanwhile, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu exhibit high mechanisation in land preparation and harvesting, but face challenges in operations such as weeding and women’s access to training and tools.
Gender Dimensions: Women and Labour-Saving Tools
A significant contribution of the report lies in its focus on women in agriculture. It highlights how women, who perform up to 70% of agricultural tasks in some states, often lack access to training, finance, and machinery.
Labour-saving tools (LSTs), such as hand weeders and rice transplanters, have demonstrated potential in reducing drudgery and time, especially for women involved in transplanting, weeding, and harvesting. The figure below indicates the proportion of women who perceived the stated benefits of the
labour-saving technology.
An innovative video-based awareness experiment revealed that women’s willingness to adopt LSTs increases when their cost-effectiveness is demonstrated and the physical attributes, such as ease of use and weight, are favourable.
India’s economy is deeply dependent on informal and unpaid labour, a sector overwhelmingly dominated by women. Over 62.9% of agricultural workers and millions in caregiving, street vending, and domestic roles are women. However, most of this labour is undervalued or unrecognised in GDP calculations.
Global data from the ILO (2020-22) indicates that 73.5% of women in wage employment lack social protection, which mirrors India’s gaps in the informal economy. Hence, a higher visibility in the sector is required in the form of a policy response.
Towards a Sustainable Mechanisation Ecosystem
The report advocates a 3A framework for adoption:
• Awareness: Establish state-level machinery information centres, similar to Tamil Nadu’s initiative.
• Accessibility: Promote Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs)-based rental models.
• Affordability: Facilitate rentals and inclusion of LSTs in agri-clinics and
government-supported outlets.
It also recommends engaging female extension agents and local artisans to improve the reach and affordability of tools designed for women, particularly in low-power and tribal regions.
Policy Recommendations
1. Block-level training for machine operators to enhance efficiency and reducemaintenance costs.
2.Village-level entrepreneurship in machine repair and services through mobile mechanic vans.
3.Decentralised training institutes at the district level to improve accessibility.
4.Consolidation of agricultural schemes and machine deployment data to reduce
duplication and inefficiencies.
Conclusion
Mechanisation, when aligned with inclusive skill development and gender-sensitive technology design, holds the key to transforming Indian agriculture. This study lays the groundwork for a layered, evidence-based approach to agricultural modernisation, one that centres both economic efficiency and social equity.
Access the full report @https://vidyavemireddy.com/policyandpracticeresearch/