NITI Aayog and IBM Join Hands to Develop AI Based Precision Farming

NITI Aayog and IBM to collaborate to develop Precision Agriculture based on AI

• NITI Aayog would collaborate with IBM to develop Precision Agriculture over Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• The Statement of Intent (SoI) between NITI Aayog and IBM was signed in the presence of Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog and Karan Bajwa, MD, IBM India. 
• This partnership aims to work together towards use of technology to provide insights to farmers to improve crop productivity, soil yield, control agricultural inputs with the overarching goal of improving farmers' incomes.

The first phase of the project will focus on developing the model for 10 Aspirational Districts across the following States-
i. Assam
ii. Bihar
iii. Jharkhand
iv. Madhya Pradesh
v. Maharashtra
vi. Rajasthan
vii. Uttar Pradesh

• The scope of this project is to introduce and make available climate-aware cognitive farming techniques and identifying systems of crop monitoring, early warning on pest/disease outbreak based on advanced AI innovations. 
• It also includes deployment of weather advisory, rich satellite and enhanced weather forecast information along with IT & mobile applications with a focus on improving the crop yield and cost savings through better farm management.
• IBM will be using Artificial Intelligence to provide all the relevant data and platform for developing technological models for improving agricultural output and productivity.
• NITI Aayog ll facilitate the inclusion of more stakeholders using the insights generated through these models.

Expected Questions

NITI Aayog will collaborate with wihich IT company to develop Precision Agriculture?
IBM

On which technology will the Precision Agriculture be based?
Artificial Intelligence

When was NITI Aayog formed?
1st January 2015

Who is the current CEO of NITI Aayog?
Amitabh Kant

Who heads the NITI Aayog as its Chairman?
Prime Minister