India targets 100 lakh more hectares of micro-irrigation

India has set a target to bring an additional 100 lakh hectares under micro-irrigation from FY2025–26 to FY2029–30, after covering approximately 110.92 lakh hectares since the programme began. The plan implies average annual coverage of about 20 lakh hectares through drip and sprinkler systems under the Per Drop More Crop initiative.

Why is India targeting 100 lakh more hectares of micro-irrigation?

India is targeting 100 lakh more hectares of micro-irrigation because water constraints, erratic monsoons and changing weather patterns make farm-level water efficiency a policy priority. India has about 4% of the world’s water resources while supporting a population of 1.4 billion, and agriculture and allied activities contribute about 18% of gross value added (GVA).

Micro-irrigation uses drip and sprinkler systems rather than traditional methods such as moats, chain pumps, dheklis and rahats, which mainly rely on surface water or wells. Drip systems deliver water to the root zone through emitters and lateral pipes, while sprinklers distribute pressurised water across fields; Per Drop More Crop has promoted both technologies under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) since FY2015–16.

The target also follows a wider rise in irrigated and cropped land. Net irrigated area rose from 68.4 million hectares in FY2014 to 82.4 million hectares in FY2024, while gross irrigated area increased from 96.3 million hectares to 130.5 million hectares. Over the same period, gross cropped area grew from 201.3 million hectares to 217.9 million hectares and cropping intensity rose from 142.5% to 156.8%.

What has India already achieved under micro-irrigation?

India has brought approximately 110.92 lakh hectares under micro-irrigation under Per Drop More Crop, according to a June 2026 update. The programme operated under PMKSY from FY2015–16 and under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) from FY2022–23, providing financial assistance to support farmers’ adoption of drip and sprinkler systems.

The additional 100 lakh-hectare target is almost equal to the area covered since the programme’s inception. Meeting it over FY2025–26 to FY2029–30 requires average annual additions of about 20 lakh hectares, so progress depends on state-level implementation, farmer adoption and the continued availability of funding for equipment and installation.

Maharashtra led the listed states in FY2025–26 with 1,46,505.45 hectares under Per Drop More Crop, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 1,26,092.24 hectares and Tamil Nadu with 1,20,310.51 hectares. The listed state results also show that the mix between drip and sprinkler systems differs materially by location.

Rajasthan’s FY2025–26 coverage was sprinkler-led, with 86,558.670 hectares under sprinklers against 13,773.400 hectares under drip irrigation. Andhra Pradesh showed the opposite mix, recording 103,482.124 hectares under drip and 22,610.120 hectares under sprinklers. The national target is therefore a combined area goal rather than a prescribed nationwide division between the two technologies.

How is India financing the micro-irrigation expansion?

India is financing the expansion through central assistance under Per Drop More Crop and the Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF), managed by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). Central assistance released under Per Drop More Crop since inception totals Rs 26,325 crore, while MIF began in FY2019–20 with a corpus of Rs 5,000 crore and received a further Rs 5,000 crore in the FY2021–22 Union Budget.

MIF provides loans to state governments for micro-irrigation coverage beyond PMKSY Per Drop More Crop provisions. Participating states receive a 2% interest subvention on loans from 3 October 2024, compared with the earlier 3% rate. As of 31 May 2025, MIF loans sanctioned totalled Rs 4,719.10 crore and releases totalled Rs 3,750.57 crore.

The sanctioned MIF loans were intended to expand micro-irrigation by 22.22 lakh hectares, of which participating states had covered 21.69 lakh hectares as of 31 March 2025. Later data as of 31 October 2025 showed Rs 4,853.50 crore in cumulative sanctions and Rs 3,951.8 crore in releases across nine states, demonstrating that loan approvals and fund releases are separate stages of implementation.

Tamil Nadu had the largest MIF loan sanction and release as of 31 October 2025, at Rs 1,357.93 crore for each measure. Gujarat ranked next in sanctioned loans at Rs 764.13 crore, with Rs 641.29 crore released. Continued fund disbursement and state deployment will be necessary for the FY2030 area target to be achieved.

How does micro-irrigation fit with India’s wider irrigation build-out?

Micro-irrigation complements rather than replaces investment in canals, command areas, lift systems and water-body restoration. Major irrigation projects have a cultivable command area, or CCA, above 10,000 hectares, medium projects have CCA above 2,000 hectares and below 10,000 hectares, and minor projects have CCA below 2,000 hectares; micro-irrigation determines how available water is applied at farm level.

The Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), a PMKSY component since FY2016, had created 30.66 lakh hectares of irrigation potential by FY2025–26, including 4.09 lakh hectares during FY2023–24 to FY2025–26. AIBP received Rs 21,023 crore in central assistance since FY2017 and benefited approximately 17.30 million farmers, while Per Drop More Crop focuses specifically on drip and sprinkler deployment.

The Modernisation of Command Area Development and Water Management scheme, approved in April 2025 under PMKSY-AIBP, has an initial outlay of Rs 1,600 crore. By March 2026, it had approved 32 pilot clusters across 23 States and Union Territories, using supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), Internet of Things monitoring, compressed piped irrigation networks and micro-irrigation infrastructure for water accounting and distribution.

Other PMKSY components add supply and storage capacity. The Surface Minor Irrigation component of Har Khet Ko Pani created 4.29 lakh hectares of irrigation potential from April 2016, including 0.96 lakh hectares from FY2023–24 to FY2025–26. The Repair, Renovation and Restoration of Water Bodies component restored 1.27 lakh hectares from April 2016, including 0.41 lakh hectares in the same recent period.

Conclusion

India’s additional 100 lakh-hectare micro-irrigation target establishes a five-year expansion plan almost equal to the 110.92 lakh hectares already covered. The plan combines farm-level drip and sprinkler systems with central assistance, NABARD lending and wider investment in irrigation delivery, storage and command-area modernisation.

The key measure to watch is annual area coverage against the implied pace of about 20 lakh hectares through FY2029–30. Progress will also depend on MIF loan releases, state-level choices between drip and sprinkler systems, and the development of the 32 Modernisation of Command Area Development and Water Management pilot clusters into the disclosed future national modernisation framework.