Voda, Nokia team up for SmartAgri solution

Pilot project running across 100 locations in MP, Maharashtra

New Delhi, Dec. 7: Vodafone India Foundation, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of Vi, has, in partnership with Nokia, deployed a smart agriculture solution that aims to enhance farming practices and improve productivity of farmers.

Vodafone Idea CSR has deployed Nokia's Worldwide IoT Network Grid (Wing) solution to equip farmers in the country with precise and practical data to help them achieve better yields.

"Deployment of the smart agriculture-as-aservice solution includes soil probes, weather stations, insect traps and crop cameras to help drive productivity of soy and cotton crops," a press release said.

A pilot project, being implemented across 100 locations in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, aims to benefit over 50,000 farmers in the region by enhancing their productivity and income.

"The SmartAgri project aims to enhance the livelihoods of small farmers through sustainable farming approaches, deployment of IoT (Internet of Things) solutions and by improving their access to information, using technology," it added.

Under the project, over 400 sensors have been deployed over 1,00,000 hectares of farmland to collect various data points, which are then analysed by a cloud-based and localised Smart Agriculture app.

The app offers local language support as well as weather forecast and irrigation management information.

"The sensors generate insights that is helping to improve soy and cotton crop yields. Crop management through Wing can include smart irrigation, smart pesticide control, and proactive information sharing frameworks on crops and weather, as well as a platform for commodity exchange," the release added.

The use case can also employ Remotely Piloted

Aircraft System (RPAS) technology, or drones, instead of traditional sensors for crop management.

"To demonstrate the impact of technology in transforming agricultural practices in India, Vi CSR chose the agri-heartlands of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, and onboarded Nokia as the IoT solutions provider, and Solidaridad for field implementation," it said.

The CSR initiative will be showcased at the Voda Idea booth during India Mobile Congress 2020 from December 8 to 10. Telecom operator, Vodafone Idea, offers products and services to its customers under the brand name ‘Vi'.