AgriEnIcs programme leverages electronics, AI, and sensors to enhance productivity, quality monitoring, and environmental sustainability

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) unveiled a suite of advanced electronics and IT-driven technologies aimed at transforming India’s dairy, crop monitoring, and municipal solid waste management sectors. Announced by MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan at the Ministry’s headquarters, the launch marks a significant step in applying sensor-based and AI-enabled innovations to agriculture and environmental governance.

Developed under the national AgriEnIcs programme, implemented by C-DAC Kolkata, these technologies are the product of a collaborative effort with academic institutions, research laboratories, and industry partners. The programme focuses on creating, demonstrating, and commercializing solutions that enhance agricultural productivity, ensure accurate quality assessment, and promote sustainable environmental practices.

A centerpiece of the initiative is the Electronics-based Dairy Solution, now transferred to M/s Handholders Global, Bhubaneshwar. Developed jointly by C-DAC Kolkata, IIT Kharagpur, and ICAR-NDRI Kalyani, the solution includes a wearable cattle health monitoring system, Go-P, which tracks real-time physiological changes to predict heat cycles for artificial insemination, and MAST-D, a device designed to detect mastitis in milk. Both tools aim to improve dairy productivity, reduce losses, and modernize traditional livestock management practices.

For crop quality assessment, technologies were transferred to Agnext Technologies, Punjab. These include Grain-Ex, an AI-driven imaging system for pulse quality evaluation; CT-Vieu, a conveyorized imaging solution for dry red chilli; and RIGE-Sense, an automated AI-based tool for rice quality estimation. Collectively, these solutions replace slow, manual methods with faster, more accurate, and data-driven quality analysis, helping farmers, processors, and exporters improve yields and product standards.

In the environmental domain, C-DAC Kolkata introduced a sensor-based odour monitoring device for municipal solid waste sites. Compact and portable, the system uses advanced gas sensors to deliver real-time monitoring of odour emissions, enabling authorities to manage waste more efficiently while safeguarding public health.

Highlighting the broader impact of these technologies, Secretary Krishnan emphasized that electronics and sensor-based innovations can deliver tangible benefits to farmers, industries, and citizens. He encouraged wider adoption, market-oriented deployment models, and data-driven approaches to ensure scalability and sustainable impact, aligning with India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision.

The launch event brought together senior officials from MeitY, C-DAC Kolkata, and technology partners, reflecting a coordinated effort to promote indigenous innovation in India’s agriculture and environment sectors, while positioning the country at the forefront of AI and sensor-enabled agri-tech solutions.