Bayer is expanding its AI-driven digital agriculture ecosystem in India through FarmRise, its farmer-centric digital platform, which now reaches more than 5 million registered farmers nationwide.

At the centre of Bayer’s phygital strategy is the integration of artificial intelligence and digital technologies to improve farmers' access to advisory services, risk management, credit, insurance, and market linkages. FarmRise combines agronomy expertise, localised weather updates, mandi prices, government schemes and crop-specific insights through a multilingual mobile interface designed for ease of use among rural farming communities.

A major AI-led development on the platform is Bayer’s in-house AI-powered chatbot, launched in 2025, which provides instant responses to crop and farm-related queries in simple language. The chatbot has already handled over 25,000 farmer interactions, enabling scalable and round-the-clock digital advisory services while reducing dependence on physical extension networks.

FarmRise also includes an anti-counterfeit scanning feature that allows farmers to verify product authenticity directly through the app. The feature has recorded more than 10 million scans, helping improve awareness around genuine agricultural inputs and strengthening farmer trust.

Beyond FarmRise, Bayer is building a broader AI-enabled Direct-to-Farmer (D2F) ecosystem. Its FarmRise One marketplace platform supports over 500 Farmer-Producer Organisations (FPOs) and more than 200,000 farmers with access to agricultural inputs, financing and premium market linkages.

The company has also introduced Alivio, a satellite-data-driven platform that delivers plot-level weather risk protection for smallholder farmers. Using high-resolution satellite intelligence, the platform enables automated benefit triggers when agronomic thresholds are breached, helping farmers quickly access seeds and crop protection solutions.

In parallel, Bayer’s Ask Deena WhatsApp chatbot supports sustainable rice cultivation under its DirectAcres initiative by guiding farmers on Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) practices. The chatbot has engaged over 25,000 farmers across major rice-growing regions.

“FarmRise is not just an app, it is becoming a strong digital foundation for how we engage with farmers at scale,” said Simon Wiebusch, Country Divisional Head, Crop Science Division at Bayer for India, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka. “Technology for us is not about replacing relationships; it is about amplifying trust by combining our field expertise with digital and AI-driven solutions.”