Mint explainer: can a new digital portal change how India insures its livestock?

A new government portal aims to bring livestock insurance policy issuance, claims and monitoring onto one platform, improving access and risk protection for millions of farmers.

India’s Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD) is set to launch a Livestock Insurance Portal today, aimed at digitizing and streamlining livestock insurance services across the country.

With India’s large livestock population exposed to disease and other risks, the platform seeks to make insurance easier to access and manage. Available in 11 regional languages, in addition to Hindi and English, the portal is also intended to help farmers access insurance-related information and services in languages they are familiar with.

How will the new portal simplify livestock insurance services and improve access for farmers across the country?

The portal will serve as a single digital platform for livestock insurance, bringing policy issuance, claims processing, monitoring and reporting under one system for animals covered by the DAHD's Livestock Insurance Scheme.

The platform will be available in 11 regional languages, in addition to Hindi and English. This will allow livestock farmers to access insurance-related information and services in languages they are familiar with, while making the overall process more convenient and user-friendly.

A digital livestock insurance platform could simplify policy issuance, claims processing and monitoring, while strengthening transparency and ensuring faster delivery of benefits to farmers. The initiative is aimed at making livestock insurance services more transparent, efficient, accessible and technology-driven, while strengthening risk protection for livestock farmers and supporting the sustainability of their livelihoods.

What does the existing insurance framework provide?

The Department is implementing the livestock insurance activity under the centrally sponsored National Livestock Mission (NLM) scheme across all districts of the country.

Under the National Livestock Mission's livestock-insurance component, coverage extends to milch animals, pack animals and species including goats, sheep, pigs, rabbits, yak and mithun. The scheme provides an 85% central and state government contribution towards the premium, with the beneficiary contributing 15%. The Centre and states share the cost at 60:40 in most states and 90:10 in the Himalayan and North-Eastern states.

To increase coverage, the Department has increased subsidy benefits from 5 cattle units to 10 cattle units per household for all animals, with 1 cattle unit equaling 10 small animals. Pigs and rabbits are limited to 5 cattle units.

Over 1.3 million livestock were insured under the scheme in 2025-26, according to data provided by the government in the Lok Sabha.

Why is the livestock sector becoming increasingly important for India’s economy?

Livestock is an important subsector of agriculture in the Indian economy. The sector has recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.77% since 2014-15, according to government data.

India remains the largest producer of milk globally, contributing nearly 25% of global output. Milk production has grown at a CAGR of 5.41% over the past 11 years, from 146.31 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 247.87 million tonnes in 2024-25. Per capita availability of milk was 485 grams per day in India during 2024-25, against the world average of 328 grams per day in 2024.

According to Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT) production data for 2023, India ranks second in egg production and fourth in meat production globally. Egg production increased from 78.48 billion in 2014-15 to 149.11 billion in 2024-25, a CAGR of 6.63%. Per capita availability rose to 106 eggs a year in 2024-25 from 62 in 2014-15.

Meat production increased from 6.69 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 10.50 million tonnes in 2024-25, growing at a CAGR of 4.61%.

What could change?

The portal could improve access to risk protection for farmers and strengthen the delivery of government-backed insurance schemes. Bringing policy issuance, claims processing, monitoring and reporting onto a single digital platform could reduce paperwork, improve transparency and make claims management more efficient.

Experts believe centralized data could also help improve coverage and claim processing.

"The portal will centralise livestock insurance data, providing a clear picture of the number of animals and farmers covered. It will also help track policies and claims, making settlement more efficient. Especially in case of natural calamities, the portal will help in accessing the damage and claim settlement," said Anil Kumar Angrish, associate professor, pharmaceutical management, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), SAS Nagar (Punjab).

About the Author

Vijay C. Roy is a journalist with over 21 years of experience covering various news beats across different organisations such as Business Standard and The Tribune. In the past, he has covered beats such as finance, auto, MSME, commodities, FMCG, pharmaceutical, agriculture, IT/ITES, infrastructure and start-ups. He joined Mint in February 2025, and covers agriculture, food processing, fertilizers, environment and climate change, bringing over two decades of experience reporting on farm policy, food inflation, crop trade, and rural livelihoods.<br><br>Vijay’s areas of reporting include food security and climate change policies, focusing on their impact on different stakeholders and their implications. His expertise lies in simplifying complex agri-economic issues such as edible oil import dependence, cotton and wheat trends, fertiliser subsidies, and climate-related risks. He has covered key developments including global supply disruptions and evolving trade policies, offering both macroeconomic perspective and field-level context. Known for his credible and balanced reporting, he follows a rigorous, fact-based approach that prioritises accuracy and context. He is driven by a commitment to public interest, aiming to make critical agricultural and economic issues accessible while contributing to informed policy and industry discussions.