Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM)

Promoting Modern Farm Mechanization in India

The Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) is a Government of India initiative launched in 2014–15 to make modern agricultural machinery more accessible and affordable, particularly for small and marginal farmers and regions with low farm-power availability. SMAM is currently implemented as a component of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) through State Governments.

Key Objectives

SMAM focuses on:

• Increasing access to modern farm machinery
• Reducing labour-intensive agricultural operations and drudgery
• Improving farm productivity and operational efficiency
• Promoting Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) and Farm Machinery Banks
• Supporting hi-tech and high-value agricultural equipment
• Promoting training, demonstrations and awareness
• Encouraging the use of agricultural drones and precision technologies

Financial Assistance

Under SMAM, eligible beneficiaries can receive financial assistance for purchasing agricultural machinery. Current assistance is generally 40% of the machine cost for general beneficiaries and 50% for SC/ST farmers, small and marginal farmers, and beneficiaries in North-Eastern states, subject to applicable machine-wise limits and scheme guidelines.

The scheme also supports shared-access models:

• Custom Hiring Centres: 40% assistance for eligible projects up to ₹250 lakh.
• Farm Machinery Banks: 80% assistance for eligible projects up to ₹30 lakh; assistance can be higher in the North-Eastern region.

• Who Can Benefit?

  SMAM focuses on improving mechanization access for:

  • Small and marginal farmers
  • Women farmers
  • SC/ST farmers
  • Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs)
  • Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
  • Rural entrepreneurs and other eligible institutions

  Support for Agricultural Drones

  SMAM also promotes Kisan Drones through demonstrations, financial assistance and Custom Hiring Centres. This supports modern applications such as crop protection and precision agricultural operations.

  Recent Progress

  From 2014–15 to 2025–26, SMAM supported the distribution of 21.61 lakh agricultural machines to individual farmers with central assistance of ₹9,404.47 crore. The scheme also supported 27,554 Custom Hiring Centres, 646 Hi-Tech Hubs and 25,608 Farm Machinery Banks.

  Conclusion

  The Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) is helping transform Indian agriculture by improving farmers' access to modern machinery, shared equipment services and emerging technologies. By reducing the cost and effort of farm operations, the scheme supports timely cultivation, higher efficiency, reduced drudgery and wider adoption of mechanized farming.