Indian Ag Ministry develops national pest surveillance system leveraging AI and ML

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, is leveraging cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies for the benefit of farmers and to increase overall productivity. As a pioneering force in the integration of AI, the Ministry is setting a precedent for leveraging advanced technologies to address the challenges faced by the farmers in India. It is championing the India Digital Ecosystem Architecture (InDEA) 2.0’s network approach, designed by the Ministry of Electronics & IT, Government of India.

A significant milestone in this journey is the development of ‘Kisan e-Mitra,’ an AI-powered chatbot addressing farmers’ queries about the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. This comprehensive solution, available in Hindi, Tamil, Odia, Bangla, and English, is evolving to support other government programs and has been accessed by more than 21 lakh farmers within 2 months.

Additionally, the Ministry is developing a National Pest Surveillance System in collaboration with the private sector. AI and Machine Learning (ML) models detect crop issues, offering timely information to farmers for swift action. This initiative is expected to result in healthier crops, potentially boosting yields and improving farmers’ livelihoods.

A Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the National Farmers’ Welfare Programme Implementation Society, IndiaAI under Digital India Corporation, and Wadhwani Foundation. The MoU was signed in the presence of Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Dr. P.K. Meherda, Additional Secretary, Ruchika Gupta, Advisor(Digital), Samuel Praveen Kumar, Joint Secretary(Extn.), Muktanand Agrawal, Director (Digital), other senior officials from Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Ministry of Electronics & IT and Prakash Kumar, CEO, Wadhwani Institute of Technology and Policy.

Per the MoU, the Wadhwani Foundation will provide critical support in formulating and executing an AI strategy. The Foundation commits to assisting the Ministry in establishing India as a global leader in AI-driven digital agriculture transformation, aligning with MeitY’s National Plan for AI. This collaboration marks a pivotal moment in India’s agricultural landscape, where the Ministry has institutionalised the use of AI in transforming digital agriculture through the creation of an AI cell within the Ministry.