Since mid-2020, The Agri Collaboratory has engaged leaders and agriculturists with deep knowledge, experience, and a commitment to drive progress. This concept note reflects what we believe is the directional approach going forward to drive long term, sustainable transformation in Indian Food & Agriculture. While the directional approach will evolve, we are actively working on actionable steps, in the first use case, to ensure we prioritise on execution.
We articulated a use case – Project Ag CX: “Automated Farm Credit assessment” as an initial high-impact use case, leveraging data flows between organisations and involving a Data Exchange. Currently this is being developed jointly with IUDX & ART Park Teams at IISc, Samunnati, NASSCOM’s Open Data CoE, Cropin, ITC, Government of Telangana etc. Currently we have in principle agreements between IUDX team and the Data providers to build a “mock-up” demo by early 2022, to test the applicability of the Data Exchange and the overall approach.
Since September, 2021, we have started discussions with likeminded ecosystem partners on Agri Data Interoperability. We had published a position paper on the “Indian Agricultural Platform” (IAP) on the Min. of Electronics and IT, Govt of India portal, and its benefit in implementing several agricultural use cases. We recently engaged with Niti Aayog to exchange thoughts and then participated in the Agri Tech committee, chaired by Dr. Ramesh Chand, Member Agri. Niti Aayog – where it was decided to focus on Agri data standards.
We are privileged to have been the ”Knowledge Partner” at CII’s AI India, Feb 2021, and we also support other mutually beneficial Agri forums such as The Nudge Foundation’s “Agri Charcha” and NASSCOMs Bharat Summit @ NPC. In April 2021, the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Govt of India granted access to the Govt’s Agri databases.
The Agri Collaboratory is focused on achieving tangible Agri outcomes in 2022 – Farm credit use case mock up and then a pilot; developing a structure and approach to work on Agri Data Interoperability and Standardisation, calibration of Agri Data; expanding Indo-Thailand cooperation on Agriculture etc., while establishing the underlying framework for the future: stakeholder network, world class governance and transparency standards.
We are delighted to have registered a legal entity in June, 2021, called the “AgX Collaboratory Forum” – a Non-Profit, Private Limited Company, incorporated under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013. “The Agri Collaboratory” is the registered brand name of “AgX Collaboratory Forum”. We are now starting a campaign for raising donations and support to allow us to sustain work.
2022 will be a crucial year for The Agri Collaboratory and our progress will support the long term, complex work needed to build a vibrant Agri Ecosystem and a more profitable, sustainable, and resilient Indian farmer and Agri sector and – ultimately reposition India as a leading global agricultural Innovator by 2030.
The Agri Collaboratory 