<p>Finger millet (<i>Eleusine coracana</i>) is a nutritionally important and climate-resilient cereal cultivated in rainfed regions of India and Eastern Africa, yet its genetic improvement has been limited by the lack of efficient and reproducible transformation systems. In this study, we developed a rapid and efficient <i>Agrobacterium tumefaciens</i>–mediated transformation and regeneration system using shoot apical meristem (SAM) explants, enabling direct, callus-free shoot organogenesis. Optimal regeneration and shoot elongation were achieved on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 3.5&#xa0;mg L^⁻1 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 1.5&#xa0;mg L^⁻1 kinetin, 0.1&#xa0;mg L^⁻1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), and 0.2&#xa0;mg L^⁻1 gibberellic acid (GA₃). Genotype-dependent responses were observed, with PR-202 requiring 2&#xa0;mg L^⁻1 AgNO₃ to reduce phenolic browning, whereas VL-376 regenerated efficiently without AgNO₃. Transformation efficiencies of 30–32% were achieved in PR-202 and VL-376, respectively, by optimising infection and co-cultivation conditions, including reduced MS salt strength and pre-incubation of <i>Agrobacterium</i>. Molecular analyses, including PCR and Southern blot hybridisation, confirmed stable T-DNA integration in independent lines, while segregation analysis of T₁ progenies demonstrated Mendelian inheritance of the transgene. In addition, CRISPR/Cas9 constructs targeting <i>EcCKX2</i> were successfully introduced via <i>Agrobacterium</i>, demonstrating the suitability of this system for genome engineering applications. Overall, this optimised SAM-based protocol provides a rapid (45–50&#xa0;days), efficient, and reproducible platform for stable genetic transformation in finger millet and establishes a strong foundation for transgenic research and future genome editing studies in this underutilized crop.</p>