Digital monitoring boosts the reach and efficiency of PMFBY
The Government of India’s flagship crop insurance scheme, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), found a strategic ally in Cropin to ensure data-driven, transparent, and efficient implementation. With large-scale monitoring challenges and the need for timely claims assessment, the integration of satellite and AI technology transformed the landscape of agricultural risk mitigation.
Client background
PMFBY is a centrally sponsored scheme launched by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare to provide comprehensive crop insurance to farmers. Its mission is to reduce the burden of crop failure due to climate risks, pests, and disease outbreaks, and to enhance farmers’ income security.
The challenge
PMFBY was faced with several operational hurdles, including:
- Limited visibility into real-time crop conditions across vast regions
- Delays in claim settlement due to manual and fragmented reporting
- Difficulty in verifying accurate yield estimates at scale
- Need for scalable, transparent monitoring mechanisms
- Lack of timely insights for risk identification and decision-making
These gaps threatened the scheme’s efficiency and its ability to deliver value to farmers.
The solution
Cropin deployed a digital intelligence platform powered by SmartRisk and remote sensing capabilities:
- Satellite-based crop monitoring across the insurance cycle
- AI-led yield estimation models for more accurate and timely reporting
- Real-time insights into crop health, phenology, and stress detection
- Risk assessment dashboards for proactive intervention and claims evaluation
- Seamless integration of geospatial and weather datasets to support insurance decisions
The technology-enabled monitoring improved accountability while reducing dependence on manual surveys.
Impact
- Monitored 3.5+ million hectares across key agricultural states
- Enabled faster claim settlements with greater transparency
- Improved data accuracy and efficiency in yield estimation
- Strengthened the trust of farmers and stakeholders in PMFBY
- Set a new benchmark for digital transformation in crop insurance
This partnership has laid the foundation for scaling digital agriculture in public sector schemes across India.
