India enters Agriculture 4.0 with increased adoption of digital tech: DDG, NAHEP

The Centre for Advanced Agricultural Science and Technology for Climate Smart Agriculture and Water Management (CAAST-CSAWM), under the aegis of ICAR-National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) recently held a National Training Programme entitled ‘Drones for Precision Agriculture’ at its Central Campus at Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV), Rahuri for capacity building of academicians, entrepreneurs, researchers, students, farmers and practitioners.

While inaugurating the programme in hybrid mode as Chief Guest, Dr R C Agrawal, Deputy Director General (Agric Education) and National Director, ICAR-NAHEP said that the country is now experiencing the Agriculture 4.0 phase that particularly emphasises the use of digital technology; and opined that drones have assumed great importance in the age of digital technology.

He expressed that the use of artificial intelligence, coupled with drones, sensors and internet of things (IoT) enabled devices  which will establish new bench marks in Indian agriculture. He urged CAAST, MPKV to organise such capacity building programs regularly and also to schedule workshop on ″Drone Awareness″ for senior officers of SAUs and ICAR Institutes in the country.