Towards a Smarter, Fairer Farming Future

Rama ji and his family hosted us with fancy lunch when we met in Mumbai in Feb 2025

A close friend Mr V Ramakrishna whom we fondly call Rama ji, sends me a video of a self-driven agricultural tractor — a powerful symbol of how far farming technology has come. It reminded me of where we are, and where we need to go, especially in a country like ours, where farming is both livelihood and legacy.

AI self driven modern tractor.

In India, small and marginal farmers — those with landholdings under 2 hectares — make up 86.2% of all farmers. Yet, they control only a small portion of the total agricultural land. These families form the backbone of our rural economy, but they are also the most vulnerable. The idea of modernizing agriculture through AI and automation is tempting, but we must ensure that such reforms don’t push small farmers off their land. If we allow only the big players to dominate, farming will lose its soul — and its people.

Tractor on job for grading and leveling our barren lands in Badbar

I firmly believe cooperative farming is the way forward. We must cluster small plots into larger operational holdings to increase efficiency and viability. This doesn’t mean displacing anyone — it means working together.

The hill still visible is being graded.

I’ve seen transformation firsthand. Years ago, I made a decision that went against tradition. I sold part of our land to buy a tractor, retiring the old oxen and stopping our dependency on outsourced labor. With the help of a retired fauji Charanjeet Singh — a honest and hardworking — and weekend trips to Badbar with packed food (no dhabas back then!), I worked the land myself. Within three years, land that had been barren for four decades bloomed again. That experience taught me that meaningful change comes when you combine courage, faith, and hands-on effort.

Feeling proud and positive 

I’m ready to adopt new technology again — and if with my cousins (we still have 300 acres all consolidated) are willing, I’d love for us to move ahead together. Though well-educated, many of us remain stuck in outdated methods, as if still farming in Akbar’s time. It’s time we changed that, not by abandoning tradition, but by evolving it.

Our families having lunch together on Feb 17, 2025

Dear Rama ji, I know I’m speaking from the heart, and maybe I’m getting emotional. But you’re close enough to me that I can say it honestly: this land, this work, this change — it matters deeply to me. And I’m proud of what God has enabled me to do so far. Thanks for your sweet reminder!