From Vulnerability to Empowerment: The Interplay of Agri‐Fintech, Governance, and Emotional Intelligence in Indian Sustainable Farming

ABSTRACT Drawing on the sustainable livelihoods framework, our study investigates the influence of agri‐fintech adoption, geo‐environmental conditions, governance/value chain mechanisms, and emotional intelligence on sustainable crop productivity among 650 rural Indian farmers. Results indicate that agri‐fintech adoption is the strongest predictor of perceived crop productivity outcomes, followed by geo‐environmental conditions, governance and value chain mechanisms, and emotional intelligence, each significantly. Agri‐fintech positively moderates the governance‐crop productivity link. The model accounts for 49.6% of the variance, highlighting fintech's pivotal role in rural empowerment amid climate vulnerabilities. Theoretically, it extends TAM and vulnerability theory by uncovering interdependencies and potential trade‐offs in digital agriculture. In practice, the findings advocate for integrated policies that combine fintech with institutional support and adaptive training to enhance sustainability, food security, and alignment with the SDGs in emerging economies.