News in brief:
– Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University is launching India’s first Agri Robotics IoT Solutions Lab, backed by a $1.4 million grant.
– The lab will drive innovation in farm robotics, IoT tools, drones, and smart sensors to tackle labour shortages and boost agricultural efficiency.
In a major leap toward agricultural digitisation, Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTAU) is set to inaugurate the Agri Robotics IoT Solutions for Agriculture (ARISA) Lab.
This cutting-edge facility is the first of its kind in India, and it is backed by a ₹12 crore ($1.4 million) grant from the State Bank of India. The project is a collaboration between PJTAU, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad.
The ARISA Lab will focus on developing robotics and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies tailored to Indian agriculture, with a primary goal of making farming less labour-intensive. The university plans to roll out its first robot model within a year, aimed at automating tasks such as weeding and harvesting.
Vice-Chancellor Aldas Janaiah emphasised the urgency of the project, noting that the average age of farmers in Telangana has reached 60, while fewer young people are entering the sector. “If we don’t innovate now, we may not have enough hands left in the fields,” he warned.
The ARISA Lab will operate under the newly established Centre for Digital Agriculture, which will also house three other advanced units. Among them is a drone lab, run in collaboration with the Telangana Drone Academy, to train farmers in UAV use for precision agriculture.
Another lab in Vemulawada is piloting digital tools like smart soil sensors that instantly report nutrient levels, akin to ‘ATMs for soil data.’ These tools aim to improve cropping decisions, water use, and pesticide application. Supported by German technical and financial aid, the lab is also working on sensor-based pest threat alerts.
With a vision to digitally transform Telangana’s agriculture by 2047, PJTAU’s initiative positions the state as a national leader in smart farming and robotics-driven agri-innovation.
