Agri-Robotics Lab At PJTAU, Aimed At Unmanned Farming
The first-phase Agri Robotics Laboratory was inaugurated with financial support from the SBI Foundation: Reports
HYDERABAD: An agri-robotics laboratory aimed at preparing Indian farming for automation and artificial intelligence has been launched at the Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University, signalling what university officials described as an early step towards unmanned agriculture.
The first-phase Agri Robotics Laboratory was inaugurated with financial support from the SBI Foundation. The facility was opened by Challa Srinivasulu Shetty, Chairman of State Bank of India, along with university Vice Chancellor Aldas Janaiah.
University officials said the facility was among the first advanced agri-robotics labs set up within an agricultural university in the country, with a focus on automation, precision farming and intelligent farm machinery.
Shetty said the initiative carried personal meaning for him as an alumnus of the university. He said technological shifts had transformed banking operations and argued that agriculture required a similar transition. “Advanced tools such as robotics and artificial intelligence-based drones can play a role in bringing young people back to farming,” he said, linking digital confidence to the need for innovation in farm systems.
Vice Chancellor Janaiah said agriculture and rural sectors would be central to national and state development goals. “The future of agriculture will depend heavily on artificial intelligence-based technologies,” he said.
Explaining the direction of the lab, he added, “Between 2030 and 2035, robots, drones, unmanned tractors and sensor-based systems are expected to become common in farmers’ fields. Universities have to start building that capability now.”
Officials said the laboratory, also referred to as ARISA, would focus on research, testing and adaptation of emerging technologies suited to Indian farming conditions. The first phase, they said, lays the groundwork for expansion as research outcomes evolve.
Agriculture hub managing director G. Venkateshwarlu and ARISA project head Jella Satyanarayana said the lab would work closely with students, scientists and industry partners to translate research into field-ready solutions.
