Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM)

What is the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM)?

The Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) is a centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. According to the ministry's mechanization portal, SMAM aims to bring farm mechanization within the reach of small and marginal farmers, and to regions and crops where mechanization is still low, by subsidising the purchase of machinery and by promoting shared ownership models.

SMAM matters because a large share of Indian farmers hold less than two hectares, for whom buying a tractor or a self-propelled machine outright is unaffordable. The scheme tackles this in two ways: a capital subsidy when a farmer buys a machine, and support for Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) and Farm Machinery Banks that rent machinery out so even the smallest farmer can access it for a season.

Main components

• Individual ownership subsidy on tractors, power tillers, self-propelled machinery, and a wide range of implements and post-harvest equipment.
• Custom Hiring Centres and Farm Machinery Banks; subsidised facilities that own machinery and hire it to farmers.
• Hi-tech, high-value machinery hubs run by cooperatives, FPOs and entrepreneurs.
• Training and demonstration of improved farm equipment.

How much subsidy does SMAM give?

According to the SMAM operational guidelines, the individual-ownership subsidy is provided as a percentage of the machine's cost, subject to a machine-wise ceiling. The published pattern is generally:

• 40% of the cost for general-category farmers.
• 50% of the cost for SC, ST, small, marginal and women farmers.

The rupee ceiling differs for every machine, a power weeder, a rotavator, a combine harvester and a tractor each carry their own cap. Because these caps are revised periodically and vary by category and horsepower, the exact figure for a specific machine should be read from the subsidy calculator on the DBT portal (agrimachinery.nic.in) rather than assumed. Subsidy for CHCs, Farm Machinery Banks and hi-tech hubs is calculated on the project cost up to prescribed limits.

Do not treat any single percentage as final for your purchase: confirm the category rate and the machine ceiling on the portal calculator or with your block/district agriculture officer before ordering.

Who is eligible for SMAM?

You can apply if you are:

• An individual farmer. The higher 50% rate applies to SC, ST, small, marginal and women farmers, and the general rate to others.
• A group of farmers, self-help group, cooperative society, registered Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) or panchayat setting up shared machinery.
• An entrepreneur establishing a Custom Hiring Centre or Farm Machinery Bank.

You cannot apply for a personal subsidy if:

• You do not cultivate land or cannot produce landholding proof (for the individual-ownership component).
• You have already availed subsidy on the same category of machine within the cooling-off period set by your state.
• The machinery or dealer is not empanelled on the state's approved list.

Because SMAM is implemented by state agriculture departments, states can add their own conditions — such as a limit of one machine per farmer per year or a priority for small and marginal farmers when targets are limited.

What documents are required for SMAM?

How to apply for SMAM

1. Open the DBT Agricultural Mechanization portal at agrimachinery.nic.in and check whether your state's application window is open for the current year.
2. Register as a farmer using your Aadhaar number, mobile number and bank account details, and complete OTP verification.
3. Select the machinery you want to buy from the list on the portal and use the subsidy calculator to see the applicable rate and ceiling for your category.
4. Submit the application with your land records and, if claiming the SC/ST rate, your caste certificate; note the application ID.
5. Buy the machine from an empanelled dealer after approval and upload the invoice, then let the state agriculture department verify the purchase: often with a physical inspection, before the subsidy is released to your bank account by DBT.

Application windows fill quickly against state targets, so apply early once your state opens the portal.

Help and where to get support

• DBT portal: agrimachinery.nic.in
• Mechanization division: farmech.dac.gov.in
• Helpdesk email: support-agrimech@gov.in

For on-the-ground help, checking your eligibility category, the empanelled dealer list and the current machine ceilings, contact your block or district agriculture office, which implements SMAM locally on behalf of the state.