- Why in news
- On 9 July 2026, PIB released a note on SMAM, giving progress since 2014-15: Rs 9,404.47 crore for 21.61 lakh machines, and 40,928 Kisan Drone demonstrations.
- What it is
- The Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched in 2014-15 under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. It aims to put farm machinery within reach of small and marginal farmers, women, SC/ST farmers, FPOs and SHGs. It does this through subsidies, Custom Hiring Centres, Farm Machinery Banks and hi-tech hubs.
- Launch and parent scheme
- SMAM began in 2014-15 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under RKVY.
- Machine subsidy
- Subsidy is paid through DBT: 40% of machine cost for general beneficiaries and 50% for SC/ST, small and marginal farmers, and North-East beneficiaries.
- Women's share
- 30% of total funds are earmarked for women farmers.
Don’t confuse with SMAM vs RKVY: RKVY (2007) is the parent scheme for state agriculture investment; SMAM (2014-15) is the mechanisation sub-mission under it.
Don’t confuse with CHC vs Farm Machinery Bank: A CHC is a unit of machinery hired out by farmers; an FMB is a smaller machinery bank for SHGs, FPOs and local institutions with higher (80%) support.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Mechanisation cuts drudgery and costs and makes farm operations timely, helping small farmers who cannot afford machines.
- Drone demonstrations promote precision application of inputs.
Problems
- Small landholdings and high capital costs limit machine ownership.
- Uneven regional farm power availability needs targeted support.
Way forward
- Expand CHCs and FMBs in low farm-power regions and link them to FPOs and SHGs.
- Strengthen training, testing and certification to ensure machine quality and use.
Put in your answer
Scale of SMAM: Rs 9,404.47 crore supported 21.61 lakh machines to individual farmers from 2014-15 to 2025-26.
Drone demonstrations: ICAR conducted 40,928 Kisan Drone demonstrations over 40,918 hectares during 2023-24 to 2025-26.
- 2018Mains GS3 · Q13NHM's role in boosting horticulture production and farm income
- 2013Mains GS3 · Q5Types of agriculture subsidies; critically analyse their distortions
- 2017Mains GS3 · Q15Subsidies' effect on cropping, farmers; small-farmer support significance
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.The Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.
- 2.For North-Eastern and Himalayan states, the Centre-State funding ratio under SMAM is 60:40.
- 3.Under SMAM, Union Territories receive 100 percent central funding.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 6
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.SMAM is implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.
True. SMAM sits under RKVY as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
2.For North-Eastern and Himalayan states, the Centre-State funding ratio under SMAM is 60:40.
False. It is 90:10 for North-Eastern and Himalayan states; 60:40 applies to most other states.
3.Union Territories receive 100 percent central assistance under SMAM.
True. UTs are funded fully by the Centre.
4.Subsidy for individual machine purchase under SMAM is 50% of cost for all beneficiaries.
False. It is 40% for general beneficiaries and 50% for SC/ST, small and marginal farmers, and North-East beneficiaries.
5.SMAM earmarks 30 percent of its funds for women farmers.
True. 30% of total funds are earmarked for women.
6.Farm Machinery Banks under SMAM receive 80 percent support for projects up to Rs 30 lakh.
True. FMBs get 80% support up to Rs 30 lakh; CHCs get 40% up to Rs 250 lakh.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.