In Bengaluru, at the Microsoft AI Tour, Microsoft's commitment to expanding the Azure infrastructure in India by $3 billion was a highlight. However, the focus on revolutionizing sectors like healthcare and agriculture also brought significant announcements from CEO Satya Nadella. An AI agritech startup, AgriPilot.ai, in partnership with Microsoft, aims to enhance farming decisions with science-backed insights, eliminating guesswork for farmers.
AgriPilot.ai, a Maharashtra-based AI startup, has been collaborating with Microsoft Research for over five years. The partnership involves integrating AI, satellite imagery, and other technologies to transform farming practices. AgriPilot.ai focuses on identifying essential factors such as soil nutrient levels, water availability, and suitable weather conditions to optimize crop yield and resource usage. Prashant Mishra, founder of Click2cloud Inc., which hosts AgriPilot.ai, highlighted the success of their models in an interaction with AIM.
The startup's mission is to support marginalized farmers, particularly those with less than two acres of land. By leveraging AI, AgriPilot.ai has managed to conduct experiments on over 250,000 hectares globally, including the cultivation of sugarcane and exotic vegetables like strawberries and dragon fruits on local farms, significantly impacting farmers' earnings.
AgriPilot.ai employs a 'no-touch' approach using satellite and drone imagery for remote farm data collection, enabling detailed crop management plans. The partnership with Microsoft Research provides AgriPilot.ai with advanced tools and platforms, although Microsoft has not directly invested in the startup. Nadella's meeting with the team at ADT Baramati, which uses AI tools for sustainable harvests, underscores the collaboration's impact.
Furthermore, AgriPilot.ai integrates Microsoft Azure Data Manager and FarmBeats for precise, data-driven insights into soil health, water availability, and fertilizer usage. The startup also collaborates with Pratham to train farmers in advanced technologies, providing employment opportunities for women to conduct AI-powered soil testing.
AgriPilot.ai's global experiments extend to countries like Qatar, Dubai, Peru, USA, Malaysia, and India, with a focus on empowering farmers through data-driven agriculture. Meanwhile, other tech giants like Google are also making strides in the agritech space, showcasing the growing interest and investment in technology-driven agricultural solutions.
Source: AIM