Punjab is witnessing the application of artificial intelligence in some crucial areas of public good. However, in the granary of India, the implementation of AI in not restricted to agriculture. Read about some cutting-edge solutions that are taking the state forward in its AI journey:

• Punjab's Agri Export Corporation is using Al for improving the quality of seed potatoes: Pagrexco partnered with Bengaluru based CropIn to enable the traceability of potato seeds in the entire value chain: curbing the sale of counterfeit, low-quality seeds and improving the quality of potato seeds.Punjab produces 27 lakh metric tonnes of potatoes every year, provides to nearly 70 per cent of the entire seed potato demand in the Indian market. But less than one per cent of all seed potatoes produced in Punjab are currently certified by the Punjab Seed Certification Authority. This makes it extremely difficult for potato growers to differentiate original seeds from counterfeit ones. Capturing farm data at critical points established end-to-end traceability to the life cycle of seeds. Following tests for quality assurance and certification by Pagrexco, unique QR codes are printed on each of the seed potato packets during the packaging and warehousing process. This enabled buyers to trace the origin of the seed potatoes and determine exactly where the seeds are coming from, how the seed potatoes were cultivated, and whether they are Pagrexco certified or not. Read more...
• Providing curfew passes and thermal imaging solutions using AI & analytics: Staqu has modified some of its existing solutions to in the fight against COVID19 – one of the solutions help law enforcement authorities track those involved in supply and delivery of essential items by issuing Curfew ePasses, and the other is a thermal imaging solution that uses AI and analytics to track COVID19 patients and at-risk individuals. The Punjab Police felt an urgent need for a system that could allow the easy and hassle-free movement of those involved in provision of essential items, since it was becoming a challenge to maintain law & order across the state. Staqu offers four offerings – all of which can provide a verified e-pass to a vendor or seller of essential items. Read more...
• AI technology to get to the bottom of the water crisis: KisanRaja, a GSM controlled device developed by Vinfinet Technologies, allows farmers to control irrigation pumps from anywhere. The device is retro-fitted on pumps, and provides a continuous updates to the farmer on power supply, water levels through Interactive Voice Response. The company has done a pilot project for the World Bank, showcasing the efficiency of their solution on paddy fields in West Bengal. Soon, World Bank will extend the project to Punjab, where Vinfinet Technologies will test the solution’s efficiency in wheat crops. Read more...
• AI-driven solutions for agriculture and food commodity value chains: Chandigarh based startup AgNext is helping improve the quality of agricultural produce using a combination of innovative AI-driven hardware, software and analytics. Punjab, being the granary of India, is a direct beneficiary of their AI-powered tools and innovative solutions. Given the history of challenges with respect to quality of food, the startup aims to address challenges at the grassroots level in agriculture. Read more...

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