The World Bank has sanctioned two major projects worth a combined $776 million, to strengthen school education in Punjab and promote climate-resilient farming in Maharashtra. The initiatives are expected to benefit over 6 million people and enhance long-term human capital and farm incomes.
The World Bank has approved two investment operations in India totaling $776 million to expand digital infrastructure in public education and promote climate-resilient agriculture. The projects target Punjab and Maharashtra and are structured as long-term financing with extended maturity periods, according to official disclosures.
The $286 million Punjab Outcomes-Acceleration in School Education (POISE) program will integrate digital tools into public schools to monitor learning outcomes, strengthen foundational education, and improve secondary-level skills development. The initiative aims to support enrollment of 1.3 million primary students, 2.2 million secondary students, and 592,000 children in early education. Investments include computer labs, tablets, projectors, teacher training, and school management upgrades.
In Maharashtra, the $490 million Climate Resilient Agriculture Project (POCRA) Phase II will deploy precision farming technologies, data integration, remote sensing, and AI-based monitoring across 21 districts. The program is expected to benefit more than 2 million small and marginal farmers, including 290,000 women, and aims to increase smallholder incomes by approximately 30% through improved soil health, nutrient efficiency, and water management.
The approvals underscore growing multilateral support for digital public infrastructure and agri-tech adoption in India. For edtech providers, agri-tech startups, and rural financial institutions, the programs signal expanded demand for data-driven solutions aligned with long-term development financing frameworks.
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