SRINAGAR: The Government of India has sanctioned Rs 42-crore Agri-Excellence project focused on integrating electronics and ICT in crop management. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has approved the project for Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), which will serve as the nodal agency.
The project, spanning four years, brings together several prestigious institutions, including the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) Kolkata and Mohali, Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) Durgapur and Ludhiana, and Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI) Bangalore.
The initiative aims to enhance the production and quality of saffron, walnuts, and apples—key contributors to Jammu and Kashmir’s bio-economy. It will deploy advanced AI and precision agriculture technologies to address challenges in crop management, harvesting, and quality assessment.
Vice Chancellor of SKUAST-K, Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai, hailed the project as a game-changer for Himalayan agriculture. “This initiative will revolutionize farming through cutting-edge AI and automation, providing students access to world-class research and innovation,” he said.
The project will introduce robotic solutions for saffron harvesting, weed management, and stigma separation, alongside a replicable model for soilless saffron cultivation. In the walnut sector, AI-driven sorting techniques will classify nuts based on shell thickness and wholesomeness, with rapid aflatoxin detection technology also being developed. For apples, non-invasive methods will assess internal quality defects.
Prof Syed Zameer Hussain, Principal Investigator of the project, along with his team, received accolades for securing the prestigious grant. Prof Ganai extended his gratitude to MeitY Secretary S Krishnan for supporting SKUAST-K’s research vision.
The project will also feature hackathons and grand challenges to foster innovations in ICT applications for crop management in the Himalayan region. The anticipated outcomes are expected to boost the horticultural sector’s productivity, market competitiveness, and export potential.
This marks the first time MeitY is collaborating with an agricultural university, recognising SKUAST-K’s pioneering efforts in AI-driven agricultural research. The university has already established the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (CAIML) and introduced a BTech programme in AI in Agriculture in collaboration with IIT Mandi.
