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India's agriculture sector is preparing for a decisive shift towards green-fuel technologies and gender-friendly mechanisation, with senior government leadership urging industry participation earlier this week. The Agriculture Ministry highlighted the need for electrically powered and CBG-based machinery to reduce operational costs, while also emphasising that women farmers require equipment designed to ease their workload. Italian officials reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral agricultural cooperation under the ongoing Joint Strategic Action Plan, signalling deeper industrial engagement. The latest edition of EIMA Agrimach India showcased advanced machinery, rising trade prospects and future-ready mechanisation models.
The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare urged India's farm machinery industry to play a central role in shaping the agriculture sector's Vision 2047 by accelerating its transition towards green-fuel based technologies and designing equipment that genuinely reduces the labour burden on women farmers. Advertisement
Speaking at the 9th International Exhibition & Conference on Agri-Machinery, Equipment & Agri-tech Solutions at EIMA 'Agrimach India 2025', held in New Delhi and jointly organised by FICCI, the Italian agricultural industry body FEDERUNACOMA and the Ministry itself, Agriculture Secretary Dr Devesh Chaturvedi said India should, over the next five to ten years, move its mechanisation ecosystem towards clean-energy models such as electrically operated tractors and machines powered by compressed biogas sourced from rural CBG units. He remarked that such a shift would lower both operational and maintenance expenses for farmers and noted that government schemes would increasingly prioritise these technologies. He conveyed to the Italian industry that active collaboration in this transition would be welcome.
Dr Chaturvedi stressed that women farmers play an indispensable role in realising the Vision 2047 agenda and underscored the need for gender budgeting to ensure that agricultural tools are appropriate for women. He referred to the United Nations' decision to designate the coming year as the International Year of Women Farmers and pointed out that policymakers often misinterpret gender budgeting as merely transferring ownership of machinery to women. He clarified that this does not reduce physical effort, as most laborious farm tasks continue to be performed by women. He called for thoughtfully designed manual and motorised equipment that reduces drudgery and increases efficiency.
Italian Ambassador to India, Mr Antonio Bartoli, expressed optimism about expanding bilateral cooperation in the agriculture sector and noted that discussions were underway to appoint an Agriculture Attach' at the Italian Embassy in India to strengthen institutional engagement. He highlighted that around twenty Italian companies already operate manufacturing facilities in India and signalled interest in increasing this footprint. Referring to the recent meeting between the heads of government of both nations on the sidelines of the G20 in Rome, he said the Italian Premier had proposed raising bilateral trade volumes to EUR 20 billion under the Joint Strategic Action Plan, and he urged stakeholders to work towards this goal.
Mr T. R. Kesavan, Chairman of the Organising Committee for EIMA Agrimach India and a Board Director at TAFE, reiterated the need to promote agriculture-as-a-service. He observed that farmers often cannot justify the cost of buying machinery that is used only for a few days each year, such as seeders, and argued that such equipment becomes viable when offered as a service. He mentioned that industry had discussed this framework with the Agriculture Ministry and that the concept was gaining traction.
FEDERUNACOMA Director General, Ms Simona Rapastella, remained upbeat about the outlook for India-Italy cooperation. Citing an Italian Trade Agency report, she indicated that the Indian agricultural machinery sector had been valued at USD 13.7 billion in the past year and was projected to grow to USD 31.6 billion over the next decade at an estimated annual rate of 9%. She added that collaborations between Italy and India-through domestic production, trade partnerships and industrial ventures-would significantly contribute to this growth. She also noted that FEDERUNACOMA's export forecast pointed to rising activity in both imports and exports.
During the event, FICCI and PwC released their report titled Farm Mechanisation: The Path Towards a Future-Ready India. PwC Partner Mr Shashi Kant Singh advocated transitioning from individual ownership to a pay-per-use model to accelerate mechanisation uptake. Ms Sabrina Mangialavori, Deputy Trade Commissioner at the Italian Trade Agency, highlighted the growing adoption of modern mechanical practices among Indian farmers, particularly in tillage, sowing, irrigation, crop protection and threshing.
Mr Subroto Geed, Co-Chairman of the FICCI National Agriculture Committee and President, South Asia, Corteva Agriscience, pointed out that rapid mechanisation would be essential to meet the food requirements of an expected global population of around 1000 crore by 2050, with India contributing the largest share.
The 9th edition of EIMA Agrimach India, held over the past week at IARI, Pusa, New Delhi, brought together a comprehensive display of advanced agri-machinery and technologies from India and across the world. Supported by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, the exhibition is expected to draw thousands of visitors, including a substantial number of farmers. Multiple knowledge sessions are being conducted to increase awareness about emerging technologies and innovations. Since its launch in 2009, the event has grown significantly, and this edition features more than 175 exhibitors and international participation from countries including Italy, Poland, Japan and the Netherlands, alongside business visitors from over forty nations.
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