Future Of Indian Agriculture: Role of Robotics & Emerging Technologies

With the expansion of the Indian economy, agriculture's contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) has decreased over time and even now, the productivity of various agricultural goods is lower than that of nations like the USA and China. Despite this, the Indian agricultural sector has experienced growth. 

The biggest success of free India has been the "Green Revolution," a term that refers to the pioneering work of agriculture scientists and the efforts of farmers that helped achieve a breakthrough in the agriculture sector in the 1960s. 

The development and progress of the Indian agricultural system are greatly aided by the ongoing technical innovation in the country's agricultural sector. Promoting equitable and sustainable growth will be essential for ensuring agricultural production, creating jobs and eliminating poverty. 

Inhibitors to India's agriculture's ability to expand sustainably and commercially include dwindling and degraded land and water supplies, drought, flooding and global warming-induced unpredictable weather patterns.

According to the experts, highly advanced technologies like robotics, temperature and moisture sensors, aerial photographs and GPS technology will play a significant role in the future of agriculture. This state-of-the-art machinery, robotic systems, and precision agriculture will enable farms to be more productive, efficient, safe, and environmentally sustainable.

On how we can utilise the power of Robotics in the agriculture sector, Raj Vallabhaneni, Chief Technology Officer - Samunnati said, "Robotics can revolutionise the production, processing and supply chains. It can be utilised in many activities which include seeding, planting, weed control, spraying, irrigation, harvesting, sorting, grading, packing, monitoring, and data collection."

Vallabhaneni added that these activities can be handled more efficiently and accurately than humans. This is especially important for difficult or dangerous activities for humans to handle. Robots reduce the risk of human error. This leads to improved quality.

Swati Gupta, Co-founder, Industrybuying said, "The robotics revolution is slowly underway in India, this can be utilised in various spheres of agriculture like precision agriculture: Robotics and drones were being used for crop monitoring, pest detection, and yield prediction. These technologies help farmers optimize the use of resources like water, fertilisers and pesticides."

Gupta added that some companies were working on robotic systems designed to automate the harvesting process for crops like fruits and vegetables. These systems aim to reduce the labour-intensive nature of harvesting and improve efficiency. 

Vallabhaneni also asserted, "India is quite different from the countries that have adopted robotics in agriculture. There are various challenges in adopting robotics such as diversity. India has diverse soil types, weather, cropping patterns, and standards. This makes it difficult to configure and train robots. The average landholding of farmers is very low, which makes it difficult with respect to cost, for small farmers to adopt."

Experts told BW Businessworld that rural areas in India often need more infrastructure to support robotics and emerging technology, such as reliable electricity, internet, and access to technical support and service.

On the role of government in educating farmers about robotics and emerging technologies, Gupta said that the Indian government can play a significant role in educating farmers about emerging agricultural technologies by implementing various initiatives and programs. "Educating farmers about these technologies can empower them to make informed decisions, adopt more efficient practices, and improve their overall productivity," he added.