Vol. 7, Issue 12, Part D (2025)

The introduction of digital technologies has transformed higher education and agriculture to a great extent, with enormous opportunities for learning, research, and entrepreneurial innovation. The present study examines the trends of adoption and use among postgraduate students at Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV), Rahuri, one of the leading agricultural universities in India. In the context of India's agriculture-based economy, which is grappling with serious issues of climate change, market volatility, and food security, digital technologies such as AI-based analytics, social media platforms, and Agri-Tech applications have the potential to revolutionize conventional agricultural practices and research approaches. Nonetheless, even with their increasing spread, there is still a significant knowledge gap on how agricultural students interact with these technologies, the conditions influencing their adoption, and the system constraints curtailing their full potential.This study evaluated the inclination of postgraduate students at MPKV Rahuri towards initiating startups in agriculture and allied sectors. The findings reveal a generally positive mindset, with a majority of students (68.26%) categorized as "Inclined" and an additional 18.64% as "Highly Inclined" towards agri-startups.

Despite this inclination, the results show that students exhibit high digital dependence alongside critical readiness gaps in agricultural entrepreneurship. While students are comfortable with digital platforms with 74.48% rating them as important for time-saving market access and 62.17% using social media to learn about government schemes their application of advanced tools is limited. For example, only 35.24% use AI for subsidy inquiries, and very low usage of professional networks like LinkedIn (39.34%) was reported, indicating a preference for more casual platforms.

The discussion highlights a significant gap: high digital adoption has not yet fully equated with startup confidence. This is underscored by the predominant need for AI/ML training, as expressed by 80.74% of respondents. The study concludes that focused AI training and mentorship programs are necessary to close the gap between the students' theoretical knowledge and the practical skills required for hands-on agripreneurship.

By overcoming such challenges, respondents have the potential to unlock the transformative power of digital technologies to enable students to innovate at the nexus of agriculture and technology. This study not only bridges an essential gap in literature on digital adoption in developing economies but also offers a framework for scalable interventions to improve agricultural education, entrepreneurship, and sustainable rural development.