Smart Agriculture In India: Possibilities, Benefits And Challenges

In recent times, there has been a continuous debate on whether big data analytics is the next best thing in technology or just a technological bubble that will burst as the world explores it and begins to use it in real life and work.

- Samiya Khan

However, the fact that big data analytics thrives on the diversity of its application areas proves that this technology is here to stay for long. Moreover, data has been an unused reserve for years. This technology allows the use of this reserve in the most augmented manner possible.

Agriculture has been a neglected field as far as technological use and applicability are concerned, which is more so in developing countries like India where funds for technological adoption are limited and technical expertise for using the available technologies is inadequate. The improving accessibility of low-cost IoT sensors and affordable solutions for smart agriculture has mitigated the challenges associated with adoption of IoT-based big data analytics in agriculture, to a large extent. It would not be wrong to state that IoT in agriculture is simply the coming together of information technology, telecommunications and sensor technologies. Some of the best examples of how IoT can be used in agriculture include development of smart irrigation facilities, facilitating check on soil vitals and performing a real time monitoring on crop health. In simple words, the vision is to empower farmers of different educational and cultural backgrounds and help them enhance their crop production with the help of state-of-the-art technologies. This movement can prove to be quite a revolution particularly for agro-based economies like India.

Benefits and Challenges

IoT has the capability to modernize agriculture and initiate exponential growth in the sector. It is all set to change the way cultivation and warehousing is done. Moreover, it is expected to reduce wastage and improve profit margins remarkably. In view of the fact that agro-based economies like India heavily depend on agriculture for growth, IoT-based initiatives can contribute to national growth in a massive way. The benefits of using IoT in agriculture include –