The Sub‑Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), launched in 2014‑15 under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, has received central assistance of ₹9,404.47 crore as of 9 July 2026 and supported distribution of about 21.61–22 lakh agricultural machines nationwide.
Scope and Objective
- Target groups: Small and marginal farmers, women, SC/ST, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Self‑Help Groups (SHGs) and underserved regions including North‑Eastern States.
- Primary goal: Increase access to farm machinery to raise labour productivity and precision farming adoption.
Infrastructure & Reach
- Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs): 27,554 established to enable shared access to machinery.
- Farm Machinery Banks (FMBs): 25,608 created for local hiring and storage.
- Hi‑tech Hubs: 646 centres for advanced equipment and training.
- Machine distribution: ~21.61–22 lakh units provided to farmers.
Financial Support & Subsidy Structure
- Central assistance: ₹9,404.47 crore (till 9 July 2026).
- Subsidy tiers: Base subsidy ~40% for general beneficiaries; higher tiers (50–80%) for SC/ST, small/marginal farmers and women; up to 100% for selected small machinery in North‑Eastern Region.
- Gender allocation: 30% of funds earmarked for women farmers.
Technology, Drones & Capacity Building
- Drone support: ₹52.50 crore provided; 40,928 demonstrations covering 40,918 hectares via ICAR, SAUs and KVKs.
- Quality measures: Performance testing and certification of machinery promoted.
- 2026 restructuring: Priority shifted to CHCs and FPOs over individual tractor ownership.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- Launch & scheme placement: SMAM launched 2014‑15 under RKVY (Ministry of Agriculture framework).
- Beneficiary trend: Individual machinery ownership beneficiaries rose from 2.07 lakh (2020‑21) to 2.32 lakh (2024‑25).
- Implementing agencies for demonstrations: ICAR, State Agricultural Universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras.