How will smart technology support SDG 12? an empirical study on sustainability in Indian agricultural operations

India is one of the fastest growing economies with significant potential for the use of smart farming operations. Although agriculture is a major sector, implementation of smart technologies in the agriculture sector has not progressed in India. We use a mixed-methods approach to develop knowledge on the factors determining this slow adoption of smart technology and develop strategies for large-scale adoption in the Indian agriculture sector. First, qualitative interviews are used to understand the factors behind the slow diffusion of smart technology in the agriculture sector. Based on the responses, we link the results of the qualitative study from the agri-sector to the well-known Diffusion of Innovations (DoI) theory. We then develop a framework for applying Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to analyze the impact of multiple causal factors. We apply our research findings to help achieve SDG 12 in the agriculture sector. Our findings indicate individual factors on their own may influence adoption, but some reasonable combinations of factors (e.g., a combination of technology, knowhow, experience, benefits-operation, and finance and reliability) could also result in the large-scale adoption of smart technologies in improving Indian agricultural operations. By doing so, we provide a contextual empirical configurational test of the DoI theory in the Indian smart agricultural context.