The government's twin flagship schemes — PM-KISAN and PM Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM) — form an integrated safety net for farmers. PM-KISAN provides ₹6,000 per year in direct income support, while PM-SYM offers a guaranteed pension of ₹3,000 per month after age 60 to small and marginal farmers and landless agricultural labourers. Beneficiaries can voluntarily use PM-KISAN transfers to fund PM-SYM contributions, linking income support directly to old-age security.

PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi), launched in 2019, is a Central Sector Scheme that transfers ₹6,000 annually to landholding farmer families in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 directly into their bank accounts via DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer). It targets small and marginal farmers — those holding up to 2 hectares — though the scheme was later universalised to all farmer families. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare administers it.

PM-SYM (Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan) is a voluntary, contributory pension scheme for unorganised sector workers, including farmers and agricultural labourers with monthly income up to ₹15,000. Launched in 2019, it provides a guaranteed minimum pension of ₹3,000 per month after age 60. The scheme operates on a 50:50 matching contribution basis — the beneficiary contributes a monthly amount (₹55–₹200 depending on entry age) and the Central Government matches it equally. The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) manages the pension fund.

The policy innovation here is the linkage: a PM-KISAN beneficiary can auto-debit their contribution to PM-SYM from the ₹2,000 instalment, converting income support into long-term social protection. This addresses a structural gap — India's agricultural workforce has no statutory pension coverage, making old-age vulnerability endemic among farming households. Together, the schemes represent India's attempt to build a lifecycle welfare architecture for the agrarian economy, combining current income stabilisation with deferred consumption smoothing.