- Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) has received 78.41 crore farmer applications and paid Rs 1.83 lakh crore in claims over 9 years.
- Technology upgrades like DigiClaim and the National Crop Insurance Portal improve process speed and clarity.
- Challenges like state premium delays and manual crop loss checks still exist, but reforms and new tech tools aim to fix them.
Marking its 9th year, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana remains a very helpful scheme in crop insurance, protecting millions of Indian farmers from natural disasters. This important scheme, started in 2016, supports your farming livelihood by offering affordable and wide crop insurance coverage. Using modern technology and increasing farmer participation, PMFBY shows the government’s dedication to strengthening farming resilience.
Growth and Impact of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana Over 9 Years
Since it began, PMFBY has grown amazingly. By June 30, 2025, it has received 78.41 crore farmer applications and paid out Rs 1.83 lakh crore in insurance claims to 22.67 crore farmers. This scheme protects you and fellow farmers from losses caused by floods, droughts, and pests, giving you confidence to try better farming methods. The steady rise in farmer sign-ups shows its value as a trusted safety net for agriculture.
Technological Innovations Enhancing PMFBY Efficiency
Technology is key to PMFBY’s success. The National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP) serves as a central platform that makes enrollment, monitoring, and claim payments easier. The DigiClaim system, introduced since Kharif 2022, has automated claim payments by linking NCIP with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) and insurers’ accounting systems. These improvements bring better clarity, faster claim payments, and direct benefit transfers to your bank account.
Expanding Coverage and Farmer Participation Under PMFBY
PMFBY now covers many more farmers, not just those with bank loans. Farmer applications rose from 3.71 crore in 2014–15 to 15.10 crore in 2024–25. Non-loanee farmer participation jumped from 20 lakh to 5.22 crore, giving insurance security to many more people. Including both public and private insurers has increased competition, which helps you with better services and more affordable premium rates.
Farmer Awareness and Grievance Redressal Initiatives
Awareness is very important. PMFBY requires 1% of total premiums to be spent on awareness campaigns to educate farmers like you about insurance benefits and rights. Also, the launch of the Krishi Rakshak Portal (KRPH) has improved grievance handling, making sure your complaints and questions get quick attention and making the scheme more open and farmer-friendly.
Challenges Facing PMFBY and Ongoing Reforms
Though many improvements have been made, some problems remain. Some states delay paying their premium share, which can cause claim delays and slow relief. Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs), important for loss checks, still use manual methods in some areas, causing slowdowns. Data errors, especially about tenant farmers, create challenges for fair claim processing.
However, new technologies like YES-TECH and WINDS improve data accuracy and speed up dispute handling. Starting Kharif 2025, mandatory state escrow accounts and separated subsidy payments add more clarity and speed to the process. These ongoing reforms show a strong commitment to improving your experience as a farmer under PMFBY.