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Empowering farmers with easy to consume tech need of the hour: Khetibuddy CEO

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Fuelled by new-age technologies like drone surveillance, remote sensing and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions, India’s agritech market has the potential to reach $30-$35 billion by 2025.

One of the key challenges faced by the agri-businesses is that there are very few software platforms available which have an agri-first approach, and can help them improve the farming process, increase yield and reduce cost or achieve sustainability.

Vinay Nair, Co-founder and CEO, Khetibuddy which is a Unified Agtech platform that strengthens digital infrastructure of agribusinesses, tells IANS that remote sensing, internet of things (IoT) and use of AI/ML have huge applications in agriculture and the need of the hour is make the technology agri-specific and easy to use.

Here are the excerpts from his interview:

Q: Tell us more about your Unified Agtech platform and how it empowers agri-businesses across India?

A: Industries have flourished once they have access to data related to their business. Agricultural data possesses the power to transform agribusinesses. Agri-domain experts have now realized this and are embracing the future with digitization.

One of the key challenges faced by agri-businesses today in doing so, is that there are very few software platforms which are available which have an agri-first approach. Major agribusinesses either rely on customizing large ERP or rely on available farm management applications which have the challenges and limitations in customizing to suit their requirement.

It is this gap which we are trying to address through our Unified agtech platform. Khetibuddy’s Agtech platform which is a SaaS (software-as-a-service) offering, allows agri-businesses to monitor, measure and manage their farms, farmers and the entire agri value chain. It’s a suite of modules from farm management, remote sensing, pest management, m-commerce to mention a few.

Any organisation who is in the business of serving farmers can use the platform based on their goals. However, unlike other players, Khetibuddy is unique by providing the science behind the tech as well. We provide ready-to-use crop schedules and advisory, which can be customized based on the local conditions with integration to weather, soil and satellite data sources.

If the goal of an agri-business is improving farming process, increasing yield, reducing cost or achieving sustainability then all of these goals can be facilitated through our SAAS platform.

Q: How are you leveraging AI/ML to help farmers make better informed decisions?

A: We use computer vision for pest and disease detection. What we have done differently is enable agribusinesses to take over on the model’s learning curve for pests and diseases relevant to their geography with minimal efforts. Our models are easier to train even by non-technical teams from agribusinesses. We developed models for specific crops for early pest and disease detection.

Importantly, we took a hybrid approach for developing continuous model learning mode with support from experienced entomologists in our team with a clear goal of avoiding crop loss.

We are also using ML for statistical modelling methods through which we estimate yields and currently working on detecting crop grown at a cluster/district or state level through remote sensing. These insights help private and public organizations to plan their services accordingly. We have already started working on some of these areas with some government units like Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK).

Q: What are some of the emerging technologies that you are most excited about over the medium term (3-5 years) in the agritech space?

A: Covid taught us to use technology to continue business as usual. If you are not able to visit the farms how do we ensure we serve the farmers, which include remote farm management through remote sensing, audio/video calls , have automated advisory services, build data models which help in predicting patterns. Remote sensing, IOTand use of AI/ML have huge applications in agriculture. The need of the hour is to make the technology agri specific and easy to use and consume at the ground level.

Q: You recently announced the launch of a dedicated premium gardening app for your home platform. What is your vision behind this and how has the user response been to this feature?

Did you know that by spending only 15 minutes a day you can grow 60 per cent of the food you consume daily right in your balcony or terrace? That’s what the app under the brand name ‘Khetibuddy Home’ helps you do.

Right from selection of places and inputs to what care you need to take every day to grow food at home, this app can be your gardening guide. Our mission here was to encourage urban people to take up growing some food at home and contribute towards self-sustainability.

We also have curated training courses dedicated only for passionate gardeners through a learning portal which also helps first time gardeners to take up gardening. Since last year, we have on�boarded more than 50,000 home growers on our platform. Now, we have added premium services for a fun and personalized gardening experience. While we work on the larger cause with farmers this allows people in urban cities to also be partially self-sustainable by growing food from food.

Q: You were born in a cloud organisation. What does cloud technology allow you to do better?

A: With the increase of broadband and 4G across rural India, Cloud helps in the reach. We no longer have to worry about local infrastructure as long as you have the internet, the technology is accessible which was not the case earlier. Today, B2B has to follow the B2C experience, I call it the ‘touch generation’. Every consumer needs all services at their fingertip. This is only possible with technologies like cloud and mobile, so businesses also should be provided such services and not use old technology.

AWS has been a great strategic partner. We grew from 0-1 lakh users and we could plan to scale the platform whenever needed which kept our costs in control with our multi-tenant architecture on AWS. AWS helps us to give a promise of uptime to our customers with their always on services.

Customers have the comfort when they know we are on AWS which is a great help. Today, we have a number of servers on production, development, which we use and a variety of technology stack, if this infrastructure had to be maintained by us, our time to be market ready would have increased at least by 2 times. We can focus on our development and not worry about infrastructure needs.

Business

PM Modi to inaugurate India Mobile Congress 2025 on October 8

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New Delhi, Oct 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025, Asia’s premier telecom and technology event, on October 8 in the national capital, Ministry of Communications said on Monday.

The four-day mega event, themed “Innovate to Transform,” will run till October 11 and is expected to showcase India’s growing leadership in the global digital and telecom space.

Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia visited the IMC 2025 venue to review the final preparations ahead of the Prime Minister’s inauguration.

Scindia also travelled to the venue and back via the Airport Metro, symbolising India’s push for modern and sustainable urban transport.

During his visit, the minister toured the exhibition area, interacted with participating startups and exhibitors, and chaired review meetings with senior officials from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), and other partner agencies.

Speaking to the media, Scindia said that IMC 2025 would mark a new era in global connectivity, where technologies like 5G, 6G, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), the Internet of Things (IoT), and satellite communications would come together to shape the future.

He emphasised that the event reflects Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a self-reliant and innovative India that connects not only within but also with the world.

IMC 2025 is expected to attract more than 1.5 lakh visitors, 7,000 delegates from over 150 countries, and 400 exhibitors spread across 4.5 lakh square feet.

The event will also feature over 1,600 technology demonstrations and 100 sessions with more than 800 speakers discussing the latest developments in telecom and digital innovation.

Highlighting the scale of the event, Scindia said that IMC has grown from being a national platform to becoming a global technology congress that represents India’s digital leadership.

He added that the 2025 edition will include six major global summits — covering 6G research, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, satellite communications, startups, and the Global Startup World Cup — India Edition.

The minister also underlined India’s achievements in the telecom sector, noting that the country now ranks among the world’s top three digital economies with 1.2 billion mobile subscribers, 970 million internet users, and the fastest-ever 5G rollout completed in just 22 months.

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Sensex rises 583 points, Nifty tops 25,000 as IT and banking stocks lead rally

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Mumbai, Oct 6: The Indian stock markets continued their winning streak for the third straight session on Monday, driven by strong buying in the IT and banking shares.

The benchmark Sensex jumped 582.95 points, or 0.72 per cent, to close at 81,790.12, while the Nifty rose 183.4 points, or 0.74 per cent, to end the day at 25,077.

“From a technical perspective, Nifty has successfully broken above the key psychological and technical resistance level of 25,000, turning the structure decisively positive,” analysts said.

“Any dip toward the 25,000 zone is expected to act as a strong support level, with immediate resistance seen at 25,200 and 25,500,” they added.

The Bank Nifty also delivered a stellar performance, opening with a gap-up and maintaining its upward trajectory through the session.

The index surged past 56,100, hitting an intra-day high of 56,164, with next resistance levels seen at 56,300–56,500, and support placed around 55,821–55,500, experts stated.

Broader markets also joined the rally, with the Nifty Midcap 100 gaining 0.89 per cent and the Nifty Smallcap 100 inching up 0.28 per cent.

In the Sensex pack, TCS, Tech Mahindra, Eternal, Axis Bank, and Bajaj Finance were the top performers, climbing as much as 3 per cent.

Meanwhile, Trent, Tata Steel, Power Grid, and Titan ended the session with losses. Among sectors, IT stocks led the gains as the Nifty IT index surged 2.28 per cent.

The Nifty Private Bank, Financial Services, and Healthcare indices also closed in positive territory.

On the other hand, Metal, FMCG, and Media shares came under pressure, slipping up to 1 per cent.

Market experts said the upbeat sentiment in IT stocks and strong institutional buying supported the overall market momentum.

“The domestic equity market ended the session on a positive note, led by gains in the financial services and IT sectors, ahead of the Q2 results,” they said.

“The banking index outperformed, bolstered by strong quarterly updates announced by large scheduled banks and attractive valuations, while hospital stocks surged following the revision of CGHS rates,” market experts added.

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SAIL fortifies Indian Navy fleet with special-grade indigenous steel

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New Delhi, Oct 6: Public sector giant Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has supplied the entire requirement of special grade steel for the INS Androth, commissioned into the Indian Navy on Monday, marking a proud milestone in the country’s journey to achieve self-reliance in the defence sector.

INS Androth is the second vessel in the series of Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) corvettes, the first being INS Arnala, which was commissioned on 18th June this year.

SAIL has supplied the full quantity of special grade steel – including HR Sheets and Plates – for the eight ASW-SWC, including INS Arnala and Androth, being built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. (GRSE).

The steel was sourced from SAIL’s plants in Bokaro, Bhilai and Rourkela. INS Androth’s commissioning underscores India’s growing maritime capabilities and the nation’s commitment to “Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” according to a SAIL statement.

SAIL had also supplied 8,000 tonnes of critical-grade steel for the country’s advanced frontline warships INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri, which were inducted into the Indian Navy fleet in August this year.

SAIL played a crucial role in building these two advanced frigates for the Indian Navy. Partnering with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE), SAIL supplied essential critical-grade hot-rolled sheets and plates from its Bokaro, Bhilai, and Rourkela Steel Plants.

By developing and providing critical-grade steel for the Indian Navy, SAIL has made a significant contribution to import substitution and defence self-reliance, directly supporting the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives and lessening India’s dependence on imported special quality steel for defence requirements.

Special Plate Plant at RSP alone has supplied over 100,000 tonnes of critical grade steel for defence applications like tanks, warships, and missiles, the statement said.

The commissioning of INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri powerfully demonstrates the strength and depth of a fully indigenous defence ecosystem – from the foundational steel to the intricate design and dedicated crew.

SAIL’s enduring partnership with India’s defence sector is well-established, with a proud history of supplying critical-grade steel for iconic vessels such as the INS Vikrant, INS Nilgiri, INS Ajay, INS Nistar, INS Vindhyagiri, and INS Surat, among others. This unwavering commitment solidifies SAIL’s standing as a trusted national manufacturer and a vital collaborator in the country’s ongoing naval modernisation, the SAIL statement added.

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