Startups, research institutes set to revolutionise farming

Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 21

Research institutions and startups in the region are set to revolutionise the agriculture sector by deploying artificial intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT). To transform the farming sector, companies and research organisations have published more than 200 patents in smart agriculture and crop sciences space in the past five years. Many of these patents are under examination to be granted.

Organisations such as Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Centre of Innovative and Applied Bio-processing (CIAB), Chitkara University and Chandigarh group of Colleges hold Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) over a diverse range of latest technology. Also, companies like Agnext Technologies, Pindfresh, Osaw Industrial Products and Fare Labs Pvt Ltd are involved in new age farming technology.

The PAU has recently filed a patent over the technology to reduce moisture over grains and bacteriological food-testing kits. Technologies like these will help in coping up with post-harvest losses and storage issues. Chitkara University has developed and filed a patent for the real-time monitoring of crops. Chandigarh University and Chandigarh Group of Colleges are also in the race for protecting and delivering such technologies.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data-related technologies are being seen as game changers in the Indian agriculture industry. Crop selection is a very promising technology where AI-based solutions are ideal for selecting crops based on parameters such as soil type, monsoon dates, availability and affordability. AgNext, a Mohali-based company, is providing cutting-edge technological solutions for revolutionising agri-food value chain. Lovely Professional University (LPU) has filed several patents in the area of Internet of Things (IOT) to monitor the health of plants, pesticidal composition and image processing of crops.

“To achieve global dominance, patent protection is instrumental for the Indian agritech startups. The future of ‘Smart Agriculture’ will depend on the quality of agricultural innovations we do,” said Harit Mohan, CEO, Signicent LLP. Haryana has also emerged with some advanced technologies with active investment in the R&D cells of industry and universities have resulted in some exceptional technologies.

Major patents

• PAU has recently filed a patent for technology to reduce moisture over grains and bacteriological food-testing kits
• Chitkara University has filed a patent for the real-time monitoring of crops
• AgNext, a Mohali-based company, is providing cutting-edge technological solutions for revolutionising agri-food value chain
• LPU has filed several patents in the area of Internet of Things to monitor the health of plants, pesticidal composition and image processing of crops

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