New Delhi, Jul 31: The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the extension of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme for another five years, from 2026-27 to 2030-31, with a total financial outlay of ₹3.15 lakh crore, reaffirming the government’s commitment to providing direct income support to farmers.
Announcing the decision after the Cabinet meeting, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the scheme will continue to provide ₹6,000 annually to eligible landholding farmer families through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in three equal instalments.
A total outlay of ₹3,15,614 crore has been approved for the extended period.
Launched in February 2019, the PM-KISAN scheme has so far disbursed more than ₹4.47 lakh crore directly into the bank accounts of eligible farmers through 23 instalments, benefiting millions of farming families across the country.
According to the government, the 23rd instalment alone benefited over 9.49 crore farmers, with financial assistance exceeding ₹18,984 crore.
The government said women farmers have received more than ₹1.06 lakh crore under the scheme so far, with nearly one in every four beneficiaries being a woman farmer.
The extension of PM-KISAN is expected to strengthen farmers’ financial security by enabling timely investments in seeds, fertilisers, irrigation, farm machinery and other agricultural inputs. It is also aimed at reducing dependence on informal credit, enhancing agricultural productivity and boosting the rural economy.
Highlighting the scheme’s impact, the government cited an evaluation by the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO) of NITI Aayog, which found that over 92 per cent of beneficiaries used the assistance for agricultural activities and farm investments, while around 85 per cent reported an increase in agricultural income and reduced reliance on informal borrowing.
The government said the continuation of the scheme underscores its commitment to improving farmers’ welfare and making agriculture more sustainable while strengthening the rural economy.
