This systematic literature review investigates the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture within emerging economies, with a focus on India. By analysing 211 scopus articles through the PRISMA protocol, the study explores how AI integrates with technologies like sensors, the internet of things (IoT) and big data analytics to drive sustainable agricultural development. Key themes identified include climate change resilience, precision farming, crop and yield management, natural resource conservation and digital agriculture. The study highlights four priority areas essential for adaptive agricultural strategies: climate-resilient crops, precision farming, sustainable practices (such as AI-driven irrigation and reduced agrochemical usage) and agricultural policy improvements. This review provides valuable insights for policymakers, researchers and practitioners, emphasizing AI’s potential to transform Indian agriculture into a more efficient and sustainable system.