In order to harness the potential of ICT in Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare launched the scheme “Kisan Call Centres” (KCCs) on January 21, 2004. Main aim of the scheme is to answer farmers’ queries on a telephone call in their own language. These call centres are working in 21 different locations in the country covering all the States and UTs. A countrywide common eleven digit Toll Free Number 1800-180-1551 has been allotted for Kisan Call Centre. This number is accessible through mobile phones and landlines of all telecom networks including private service providers. Replies to the farmers’ queries are given in 22 local languages.

Kisan Call Centre services are available from 6.00 AM to 10.00 PM on all seven days of the week at each KCC location. Kisan Call Centre agents known as Farm Tele Advisors (FTAs), who are graduate or above (i.e. PG or Doctorate) in Agriculture or allied sectors (Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Poultry, Bee-Keeping, Sericulture, Aquaculture, Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Marketing, Bio-Technology, Home Science, etc.) and possess excellent communication skills in respective local language.

Queries which cannot be answered by FTAs are transferred to higher level experts. These experts are Subject Matter Specialists (SMSs) of State Departments of Agriculture (SDAs), ICAR Institutes, KVKs and State Agricultural Universities (SAUs).