A landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in IIT Ropar on May 19, 2025 between the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar’s Centre of Excellence in AI for Agriculture ANNAM.AI and the ICAR - Indian Institute of Soil Science (IISS), Bhopal. This collaboration aims to fast-track the development of AI-enabled soil health mapping tools, create a “Digital Soil Twin” framework and develop precision nutrient and fertilizer management approaches for sustainable and resilient agriculture.
The MoU was formally signed at IIT Ropar by Professor Rajeev Ahuja, Director, IIT Ropar, and Dr. Monoranjan Mohanty, Director, ICAR-IISS, in the presence of eminent dignitaries including Dr. Jitendra Kumar, Dean R&D, IIT Ropar; Dr. Pushpendra Pal Singh, Dean Corporate, Alumni, Placement & Strategies (CAPS), IIT Ropar; Dr. Radhika Trikha, Chief Operating Officer, iHub AWaDH; Dr. Nishant Sinha, Senior Scientist, ICAR-IISS; Dr. Mukesh K Saini, and Dr. Suman Kumar, along with their respective teams.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Monoranjan Mohanty stated, “This collaboration will help improve resource use efficiency, reverse land degradation, and implement smart agriculture practices in line with national and global priorities.” The Memorandum of Understanding is intended to promote scientific and academic cooperation between IIT Ropar and ICAR-IISS in areas of mutual benefit to soil science and artificial intelligence, through developing field-deployable, and data-driven solutions focused on challenges related to soil health and precision nutrient management solutions, soil health mapping tools, a "Digital Soil Twin" framework, low-cost soil sensing tools, and early warning systems for soil degradation.
The partnership will also promote collaboration in joint research, technology commercialization, capacity building and human resource development.
About ANNAM.AI
The ANNAM.AI at IIT Ropar is India's first Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for Agriculture which was established as part of the Ministry of Education's national initiative of ₹990 crores where AI is to play a pivotal role in transforming the country in key sectors. The centre aims to target productivity, sustainability, and climate resilience in the agriculture sector by utilising cutting-edge technologies, including AI, IoT, and remote sensing.
By combining traditional knowledge with real-time data, ANNAM.AI has been generating solutions that can assist with optimizing the utilization of resources, predicting crop yields, regenerating soil health, and giving accurate advisories. ANNAM.AI provides a unique opportunity/space for collaboration between academia, industry, and policymakers, and aims to build scalable solutions that are innovative, data-driven and address food security and environmental sustainability.