KO Web Desk | October 5, 2026
https://kashmirobserver.net/2026/10/05/ai-human-synergy-needed-in-agriculture-lg-sinha/
Srinagar- Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday called upon agricultural engineers, scientists and innovators to develop technologies that are affordable, accessible and capable of working under real field conditions, particularly for small and marginal farmers.
Addressing the 60th Annual Convention of the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers (ISAE), co-hosted by Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Kashmir, the Lieutenant Governor congratulated ISAE on completing six decades of service and commended SKUAST-Kashmir for its contribution to agricultural education, research and innovation.
The convention focused on the themes “Women-Led Engineering Innovations in Smart Farming” and “AI and Robotics for Gen-Z Farming”.
Sinha said the themes reflected the transformation of Indian agriculture from an era focused primarily on achieving food security to one in which the country is increasingly seeking to become a global leader in agricultural innovation.
He said Jammu and Kashmir, with its rich agricultural heritage and challenging geographical terrain, provided an appropriate setting for discussions on the future of agricultural engineering.
Recalling the evolution of agricultural engineering since the establishment of ISAE in 1960, Sinha said scientists and engineers had played an important role in the Green Revolution through mechanisation and innovations that helped increase agricultural productivity and reduce post-harvest losses.
He urged young engineers and researchers to draw inspiration from these achievements while developing solutions to contemporary challenges, including climate change, resource scarcity and the need for sustainable farming.
The Lieutenant Governor laid particular emphasis on the role of women in agriculture and agricultural technology.
He said nearly 64 to 76 per cent of the rural female workforce is engaged in farming and allied activities, often without wages or land ownership, and called for greater opportunities for women to become innovators and leaders in agricultural technology.
Sinha urged educational institutions, agricultural universities and private-sector stakeholders to support women-led agricultural technology start-ups and create laboratories, fellowships and incubation platforms for young women engineers and scientists, particularly those from rural areas.
“Women-led start-ups in agricultural technology should receive financing with the same confidence with which any other start-up is provided the necessary support and facilities,” he said.
He stressed that engineering colleges and agricultural universities should actively nurture women innovators and help them reach positions of technological leadership.
“Laboratories, fellowships and incubation platforms should be created where a young woman engineer or scientist from a village in Kishtwar or Kupwara can see her idea progress through a credible journey into a market-ready product,” Sinha said.
On the growing use of artificial intelligence and robotics in agriculture, the Lieutenant Governor said such technologies should not become solutions accessible only to large land-holding farmers.
He said small and marginal farmers, who constitute nearly 86 per cent of India’s farming community, should remain at the centre of technological development.
Sinha called for agricultural technologies that can operate on ordinary smartphones and function effectively in low-bandwidth rural areas.
He also suggested collective ownership and leasing models through Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), allowing farming communities to access expensive technologies without having to purchase them individually.
“I urge the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers, SKUAST-Kashmir, and every young engineer and innovator to develop tools with affordability and access at their core,” he said.
“Create instruments that work not only on cloud infrastructure, but also on an ordinary smartphone in a low-bandwidth village in Reasi,” he added.
The Lieutenant Governor also called for greater use of collective models for agricultural robotics.
“Develop robotic instruments that can be leased through Farmer Producer Organisations or collectively owned by farming communities. I believe that this is the true meaning of developing technology for Gen-Z farming, technology that progresses alongside small and marginal farmers,” he said.
Sinha referred to drones, Internet of Things-based sensors and machine-learning models as examples of technologies already transforming agricultural practices.
However, he cautioned innovators against developing technologies primarily for demonstration or conference settings, stressing that agricultural technology must withstand difficult field conditions and deliver tangible benefits to farmers.
“Create technology that can endure in real fields, under real monsoon conditions, and within the limited budgets of real farmers,” he said.
“Do not measure your success solely by patents or published research papers. Measure it by whether, five years later, a small farmer in Anantnag, Amritsar or Akola is genuinely better off because of your tools,” the Lieutenant Governor added.
Sinha also highlighted Jammu and Kashmir’s Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), describing it as a replicable model for other states.
He expressed confidence that agricultural scientists and engineers from across the country would draw lessons from Jammu and Kashmir’s experience in precision agriculture and sustainable resource management.
The Lieutenant Governor also felicitated recipients of ISAE awards during the convention.
Agriculture Production, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Cooperative and Election Minister Javid Ahmad Dar; Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production, Ashish Chandra Verma; SKUAST-Kashmir Vice Chancellor Nazir Ahmad Ganai; ISAE President SN Jha; Texas A&M University professor VP Singh; ISAE Secretary General PK Sahoo; 60th ISAE Convention Convener Rohitashw Kumar; Organising Secretary Mudasir Ali; and members of ISAE, researchers, academicians, technocrats, innovators, industry representatives, faculty members and students were present on the occasion.