Identifying and validating suitable strategies for promoting ICT-based agro-advisory services: an expert consensus study in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based agro-advisory services can expand the timeliness, reach and responsiveness of agricultural extension, but their sustained use depends on strategies that are locally relevant, operationally feasible and institutionally scalable. This study identified and expert-validated strategies for promoting ICT-based agro-advisory services through a three-round Delphi design incorporating Fuzzy Delphi principles. A purposive panel of 75 experts drawn from agricultural universities, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs; Farm Science Centers) and allied professional institutions participated in the process. Literature-derived domains provided the initial structure, while Round I expert inputs generated and refined candidate strategies. Twenty-eight strategies entered Rounds II and III. Round-II ratings were summarized as normalized relevance weights and represented through triangular fuzzy numbers; final retention was decided after Round III using pre-specified consensus criteria (mean and median >= 3.50, |median-mode| <= 1 and interquartile range <= 1.50). Twenty-four strategies (85.7%) were retained. Digital content in regional languages (mean = 4.89), ICT-enabled Quick Response Teams (4.82), ICT-based FAQ repositories (4.74), digital claim-processing systems (4.74) and digital knowledge libraries (4.70) received the strongest support. Four strategies were rejected because their interquartile range was 2, indicating insufficient consensus despite moderate-to-high central ratings. The accepted strategies formed five domains: digital knowledge management, decision-support and advisory services, communication and farmer engagement, digital infrastructure and institutional collaboration, and governance and service facilitation. The results support an ecosystem perspective in which effective digital extension combines localized content, real-time decision support, two-way communication, interoperable infrastructure and service-linked governance. The framework offers a practical basis for program design and monitoring while requiring field validation with farmers and service providers before use as a standardized evaluation instrument.