PM-KISAN gets 5-year extension as Cabinet approves ₹3.15 lakh crore

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the continuation of the PM-KISAN income support scheme for another five years till 2030-31 with a financial outlay of ₹3.15 lakh crore, under which eligible farmer families receive ₹6,000 annually in three equal instalments.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Launched in February 2019, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme provides direct income support to eligible landholding farmer families through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism.

According to an official statement, the extension of the scheme from 2026-27 to 2030-31 reaffirms the government's commitment to supporting farmers by ensuring timely and transparent income transfers that help them invest in agriculture and strengthen their livelihoods.

“This support helps them purchase seeds, fertilizers, and other agricultural inputs at the beginning of each crop cycle, enabling them to meet expenses during the sowing season,” Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said at a Cabinet briefing.

“The assistance is timed to benefit farmers during the Kharif sowing season, the Kharif harvest, the preparation for the Rabi season, and the current harvesting period,” he added.

The government said more than ₹4.47 lakh crore has been transferred directly into farmers' bank accounts through 23 instalments since the scheme's launch.

In the 23rd instalment, over ₹18,984 crore was released to more than 9.49 crore farmers, it said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, over ₹1.71 lakh crore was disbursed under the scheme to provide financial support to farmers, the statement added.

Women farmers have received more than ₹1.06 lakh crore under PM-KISAN so far, with nearly one in every four beneficiaries being a woman farmer.

The government said the financial assistance has enabled farmers to make timely investments in seeds, fertilisers, irrigation, farm machinery and other agricultural inputs, while reducing dependence on informal sources of credit.

Citing an evaluation by NITI Aayog's Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), the government said more than 92% of beneficiaries used the assistance for agricultural activities and investments, while about 85% reported an increase in farm income and lower reliance on informal borrowing.