Hyderabad Launches India's First Agri Robotics Lab
Telangana is set to revolutionise Indian agriculture with the launch of the country’s first agri-robotics lab at PJTSAU. With backing from IIT Hyderabad, BITS Pilani, and the State Bank of India, the ARISA Lab will spearhead robotic and IoT innovations, targeting weed control, harvesting, and digital soil management to counter a looming labour shortage and usher in next-gen smart farming.
In a landmark development poised to digitally transform India’s agricultural sector, the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) on Saturday inaugurated the country’s first Agri Robotics IoT Solutions for Agriculture (ARISA) Lab. This facility, supported by premier technical institutions such as BITS Pilani and IIT Hyderabad, signals Telangana’s strategic shift towards high-tech farming solutions that address deep-rooted structural and demographic challenges in agriculture.
The ARISA Lab will develop autonomous robotic systems tailored for Indian farm conditions, with the university planning to unveil its first weeding and harvesting robot within a year. This innovation aims to reduce dependency on manual labour, especially as the average age of farmers in Telangana now crosses 60 and the youth continue to migrate to non-agricultural sectors. The lab’s robotics will be integrated with Internet of Things (IoT) systems to enhance field precision and resource efficiency.
Highlighting the urgency of digitisation, officials cited declining interest among the younger population in traditional agriculture, coupled with rising labour costs. “We must develop advanced tools to ensure continuity and productivity in farming,” said a university official. With the ₹12 crore financial support from the State Bank of India, the lab will operate under PJTSAU’s newly established Centre for Digital Agriculture, which is expected to become a hub for agri-tech innovation in southern India.
In addition to robotics, the centre will house three specialised labs focused on emerging technologies in agriculture. One of these is a drone lab, developed in collaboration with the Telangana Drone Academy, which is already training farmers in drone piloting and precision aerial spraying. This initiative aims to improve efficiency in pest control and nutrient application, while reducing human exposure to harmful chemicals.
As India aims to double farmers’ incomes and ensure food security amid mounting challenges, Telangana’s foray into agricultural robotics marks a critical step forward. The ARISA Lab could become a blueprint for national replication, offering hope for a sector in urgent need of modernisation. If scaled effectively, such digital innovations may redefine the role of the Indian farmer—transforming labour-intensive toil into tech-powered precision.
