Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)

PMKSY brings together the irrigation effort under two slogans that describe its two halves:

• Har Khet Ko Pani — protective irrigation for all land holdings
• Per Drop More Crop — getting more output from each unit of water

Its components

• Converging irrigation investments that were previously scattered across schemes
• Water-efficient technologies — drip and sprinkler micro-irrigation
• Aquifer recharge
• Watershed development for rainfed areas

Per Drop More Crop

This is the micro-irrigation component and the one most farmers deal with directly. It is aimed at water efficiency: drip and sprinkler systems that deliver water to the root zone instead of flooding the field. The PRS budget analysis names it as a component of PMKSY but does not state a separate allocation for 2026-27.

For a borewell or solar pump, look also at PM-KUSUM, which subsidises solar irrigation pumps and can be combined with other support.

• Assistance for micro-irrigation systems — drip and sprinkler — under Per Drop More Crop.
• Watershed development works in rainfed areas.
• Aquifer recharge structures.
• Convergence of irrigation investments so a single holding can be served by works funded from different sources.

The official compilation describes PMKSY's components and objectives but does not state the assistance amounts. Micro-irrigation subsidy rates differ substantially by state and by farmer category (small and marginal farmers usually get a higher rate), so the rate that applies to you must come from your state micro-irrigation cell or district agriculture office.

• Farmers with land holdings needing irrigation, under the components their state has taken up.
• Small and marginal farmers are generally eligible for a higher rate of assistance than other farmers — ask which category you fall in, because it changes your own contribution materially.
• Watershed components are area-based and are taken up in notified rainfed areas rather than on application by an individual.

• Assistance is capped at the approved unit cost for the system size and crop spacing. A larger or premium system costs you the difference.
• Micro-irrigation support is normally given once per area of land for a given period. Ask about the re-application interval before replacing an existing system.
• Installation usually must be done by an empanelled supplier after sanction. A system bought and installed first is generally not eligible.

How to apply

1. Apply to your district agriculture or horticulture office, or your state's micro-irrigation portal, for the Per Drop More Crop component.
2. Ask for: the assistance rate for your category (small/marginal versus other), the unit cost ceiling for your crop and spacing, and the list of empanelled suppliers.
3. Get sanction, then have an empanelled supplier install the system. Keep the sanction letter and the supplier invoice together — the subsidy is settled against both.
4. If you also need a pump, ask at the same time about PM-KUSUM for a solar pump, since the two can be planned together.

Open the official PMKSY website

• Land record
• Water source details (borewell, canal, tank)
• Aadhaar and bank account details
• Quotation from an empanelled micro-irrigation supplier
• Small/marginal farmer certificate where claiming the higher rate