NIT Rourkela Signs MoU With NRSC-ISRO, Tea Board For AI-based Tea Monitoring
The project will integrate multi-source remote sensing data from satellites and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms with ground-based observations
Rourkela (Odisha): The National Institute of Technology Rourkela (NIT Rourkela) has signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and Tea Board India (TBI) for collaborative research under the Advanced Research and Development project ‘CHAYANKAN’—Comprehensive AI-based Geospatial Data Analytics for Tea Plantation Monitoring.
The MoU was signed on August 27 at RRSC-East, NRSC, Kolkata. The three-year project, which commenced in April 2026, seeks to develop advanced geospatial and artificial intelligence-based solutions for tea plantation mapping, yield estimation, and pest and disease forecasting, an official release said.
The project will integrate multi-source remote sensing data from satellites and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms with ground-based observations. State-of-the-art machine learning techniques and modelling approaches will be used to strengthen monitoring and management of tea plantations and facilitate data-driven governance and decision-making.
The signing ceremony was attended virtually by Dr Prakash Chauhan, Director, NRSC, and Prof K. Umamaheshwar Rao, Director, NIT Rourkela. S. Soundararajan, Director (Tea Development), Tea Board India, also attended the programme.
The MoU was signed by Dr Sushil Kumar Srivastav, Associate Director and Chief General Manager (Regional Centres), NRSC; Dr Amrita Chakraborty, Secretary, Tea Board India; and Prof Saurav Chatterjee, Dean (SRICCE), NIT Rourkela, who signed virtually on behalf of the institute.
Senior officials and scientists from the three organisations participated in the programme. A project overview was presented by Dr Arati Paul, Principal Investigator from RRSC-East, NRSC, along with Co-PIs Dr Anima Biswal and J. Nalini of NRSC and Dr Anup Nandy of NIT Rourkela.
The participating institutions emphasised the potential of geospatial technologies, remote sensing and AI to improve scientific management of tea plantations, including assessment of plantation health and productivity and timely forecasting of pest and disease risks.
The collaboration is expected to strengthen inter-institutional research between NIT Rourkela, ISRO and Tea Board India while applying advanced digital technologies to emerging challenges in the tea sector.
