Key Points

“Sustainable and scalable solutions will be implemented with the help of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Generative AI, Internet of Things (IoTs), Drones, Computer Vision, Robotics and Predictive Analytics. It will help in taking forward projects like Agristack, Maha-Agristack, Mahavedh, CropSap, Agmarknet, Digital Farming School, and Maha-DBT in the state. There will be a three-tier administrative structure for the implementation of this policy. A fund of Rs 500 crore will be made available for the first three years for the implementation of this policy,” said the government release.

The Cabinet also decided to amend or make changes to the policy in the next five years, as the Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector is changing rapidly. For this, the State Level Steering Committee, State Level Technical Committee, Artificial Intelligence and Agritech Innovation Centre, and Agricultural Artificial Intelligence Research and Innovation Centre under the Agricultural University will work.

“The policy will create a leading hub for AI and innovation in the agricultural sector in the state, will increase 'farmer-centric use' of AI technology, research, data sharing, support for start-ups, and it is expected to put Maharashtra at the forefront of digital agricultural innovation,” said the government release.

According to the state agriculture department, the policy will encourage startups, private companies/technology companies, agricultural universities, research institutes, agricultural science centres, private institutions and farmers/Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to adopt "farmer-centric" use of Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies. This will involve institutionalising an Artificial Intelligence and Agritech Innovation Centre, which will act as an independent, full-time implementing mechanism for the practical implementation of this policy. This mechanism will work on various aspects under the policy, such as partnerships with national and international institutions, promotion of innovations, selection, implementation and financing of projects, coordination and capacity building.

Agri-Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Incubation Centres will be set up in four agricultural universities in the state under the guidance of institutions like IITs/IISc. According to the policy, a digital public infrastructure will be set up to support data-driven agriculture and AI applications. These facilities will facilitate state-wide, secure, consistent and consent-based data exchange.

A cloud-based Agriculture Data Exchange (A-DeX) and sandboxing facility will be made available, connecting all agriculture-related databases of the Central and State Governments (Agristack, Mahavedh, Maha-Agritech, CropSap, Agmarknet, Digital Shetishala and Maha-DBT) to this digital platform. Through this exchange, data on farmers, their land, crop information, local weather, and soil health will be made available for AI projects.

“An integrated engine with AI-enabled Remote Sensing and Geo-spatial Intelligence will be developed. This will help in decision making by analysing spatial information from various sources collected through satellite imagery, drone surveys, UAVs and IoT-based devices. This system will be connected to national and state platforms like MahaVedh, FASAL, and Bhuvan through API. This platform can be used by departments like Agriculture, Water Resources and Revenue and Disaster Management for various purposes,” said the government release.

- IANS