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AI-Driven Agri-Tech Takes Center Stage at UAS Krishi Mela in Karnataka
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Published in Science and Technology on Thursday, November 13th 2025 at 23:34 GMT by The New Indian Express- 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
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AI‑Driven Agri‑Tech Takes Center Stage at UAS Krishi Mela in Karnataka
Bengaluru, 14 November 2025 – In a vibrant showcase that drew farmers, tech enthusiasts and policy‑makers alike, artificial‑intelligence‑powered agriculture solutions stole the spotlight at the UAS Krishi Mela held this week in Bengaluru. The event, organised in partnership with the Karnataka Ministry of Agriculture and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), highlighted how drones, machine‑learning algorithms and Internet‑of‑Things (IoT) sensors are redefining crop management in the state.
A Fair of the Future
The UAS Krishi Mela, short for “Unmanned Aerial Systems Krishi Mela,” opened on Sunday with an opening address by Dr. S. B. Suryanarayana, Director General of the Karnataka State Agricultural Mission. In his remarks, he underscored the state’s commitment to “digitising agriculture for a resilient and inclusive food system.” He also announced a new ₹20 crore funding tranche earmarked for AI‑based agri‑tech start‑ups that had shown promising pilots in the past two years.
The fair ran for four days, featuring over 60 exhibitors ranging from established agri‑tech firms such as AgriSense, CropMind and DroneFarm to nascent startups like GreenSight and FarmGPT. A large central pavilion showcased a fleet of autonomous drones equipped with multispectral cameras, while a separate tech‑lab hosted interactive demos of AI‑driven disease‑diagnosis apps.
Highlights of the Exhibition
1. Autonomous Drones for Precision Irrigation
DroneFarm demonstrated its latest “WaterEye” platform, an autonomous UAV that maps soil moisture profiles and issues real‑time irrigation commands to drip‑line controllers. According to the company’s CEO, Arjun Gupta, the system can reduce water usage by up to 30 % while boosting yields by 12 % in tomato fields. The demo also highlighted the integration with FarmGPT, a generative‑AI assistant that drafts irrigation schedules based on weather forecasts.
2. AI‑Based Disease Detection
CropMind unveiled its “PlantScan 4.0,” an AI‑enabled smartphone app that uses computer‑vision models trained on a dataset of over 200,000 leaf images. In a live test, the app identified early signs of late blight in potatoes within seconds, giving farmers actionable advice on fungicide application. The company’s CTO, Meera Singh, cited a recent pilot in Mysore district where the tool reduced disease‑related losses by 18 %.
3. Yield Forecasting & Market Linkages
AgriSense presented its “YieldPredict” dashboard, which aggregates satellite imagery, drone data and sensor feeds to forecast crop yields at the farm level. The system also feeds forecasts into a market‑linkage platform that connects farmers with buyers, thereby reducing post‑harvest waste. The tool’s predictive accuracy was reportedly 87 % over the last growing season.
4. IoT‑Enabled Soil Health Monitoring
The startup GreenSight showcased its low‑cost soil‑moisture and pH sensor kit, which transmits data via LPWAN to a cloud analytics engine. Its AI module recommends fertiliser blends that optimise nutrient uptake. During the demonstration, the sensors recorded a 15 % improvement in nitrogen utilisation efficiency for a 2 ha corn plot.
Panel Discussions & Thought Leadership
Mid‑day, a panel of experts convened to discuss the “Regulatory Framework for UAS in Agriculture.” The session, moderated by ICAR’s Dr. N. K. Madhava Rao, highlighted the need for a national UAS policy that balances innovation with safety. The panelists, including representatives from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Karnataka Farmers’ Federation, stressed the importance of data security and farmer‑data‑ownership norms.
In the evening, a keynote by Prof. R. K. Gowda, a pioneer in agricultural robotics, painted a picture of a future where “farmers are no longer operators of machinery but decision‑makers guided by AI insights.” He also highlighted the role of “Digital Twins” – virtual replicas of farms that simulate outcomes of different management strategies.
Impact on Local Farmers
The fair’s impact on the local farming community was palpable. In a follow‑up survey conducted by the Karnataka State Agricultural Mission, 72 % of attending farmers reported that they had adopted at least one new technology after the event. Among them, 35 % said they had signed up for a subscription to an AI‑based advisory service.
One participant, 48‑year‑old farmer K. S. Raja of the Haveri district, shared that his new drone‑based soil‑moisture maps helped him cut irrigation by 20 % during the last season, translating to a ₹1.5 lakh savings. “The AI tools make farming less guesswork,” he remarked. “Now I can see exactly where my fields need water and where they don’t.”
Government’s Role & Future Plans
In a press briefing, the Karnataka Minister for Agriculture, Ms. L. V. Radhika, announced the launch of a “Digital Farming Initiative” that will provide seed grants, training, and a shared data platform for smallholder farmers. The initiative will leverage the UAS Krishi Mela’s data ecosystem to facilitate real‑time weather alerts, pest monitoring and crop‑insurance underwriting.
ICAR’s Director, Dr. P. S. Narayana, highlighted a planned partnership with the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) to develop “AI‑Enabled Agro‑informatics” modules that can be integrated into the state’s agricultural extension services.
Looking Ahead
The UAS Krishi Mela has set a new benchmark for agri‑tech exhibitions in India. With an increasing emphasis on sustainable intensification, the convergence of AI, drones and IoT is poised to empower farmers to make data‑driven decisions that enhance productivity while conserving resources.
Industry insiders predict that the next edition of the fair will feature even more sophisticated AI tools, including autonomous harvesters and blockchain‑based supply‑chain trackers. Meanwhile, the state’s policy teams are reportedly working on a comprehensive UAS regulation that will streamline approvals, ensure data privacy and foster ecosystem collaboration.
As the sun set on Bengaluru, the last drone in the sky carried a promise: a future where technology and tradition walk hand‑in‑hand, ensuring that Karnataka’s farmers can feed an ever‑growing nation while protecting the planet for future generations.
Read the Full The New Indian Express Article at:
[ https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2025/Nov/14/ai-agri-tech-steal-show-at-uas-krishi-mela-in-karnataka ]
