NEW DELHI, 16 July 2025: In a significant move to bolster the agriculture sector and accelerate India’s transition to clean energy, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY)—a INR 24,000-crore-a-year initiative aimed at transforming agriculture and allied sectors in 100 districts from 2025–26 onwards.
Modelled on NITI Aayog’s Aspirational Districts Programme, the scheme is the first of its kind dedicated exclusively to farm productivity, crop diversification, sustainable practices, and enhanced post-harvest infrastructure at the grassroots level.
The announcement was made following a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing the press, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “The scheme will benefit over 1.7 crore farmers in six years and will converge 36 existing schemes for greater impact.”
PMDDKY will prioritise districts with low agricultural productivity, low cropping intensity, and limited credit disbursement. States will be actively involved in planning and execution, with ongoing monitoring at block, district, and state levels. Technology partners will also be onboarded to strengthen delivery mechanisms.
Renewable Energy Investments Cleared
In tandem, the Cabinet cleared proposals to expand India’s renewable energy infrastructure, approving:
Enhanced investment autonomy for NTPC Ltd, raising its investment ceiling to INR 20,000 crore via its renewable subsidiary NTPC Green Energy Ltd.
A INR 7,000 crore investment clearance for NLC India Ltd (NLCIL) through its green arm NLC India Renewables Ltd (NIRL), bypassing existing CPSE restrictions for faster capacity building.
The twin moves aim to help NTPC achieve 60 GW and NLCIL 10 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2032 and 2030 respectively.
India, Vaishnaw said, has already achieved 50% of its power generation capacity from non-fossil fuel sources, five years ahead of the 2030 deadline.
