BHUBANESWAR: California-based agricultural technology company FarmX has proposed an investment of around Rs 1,000 crore in Odisha to set up an integrated manufacturing and technology facility focused on autonomous electric tractors, robotics, AI and smart farming solutions.
The proposal was made during a meeting between a FarmX delegation, led by its chief operating officer Premal Ashar, head of AI and product engineering Lalit Bhatt and deputy CM KV Singh Deo. The proposed facility will combine manufacturing with a smart agriculture programme to create a base for supplying the domestic market as well as exports. At full capacity, the proposed campus is expected to manufacture 1,000 autonomous electric tractors and one lakh field-sensing units annually. The project is estimated to create 1,120 direct and about 3,700 indirect jobs.
FarmX plans to deploy its FarmMap technology, satellite imagery and patented OSMO soil-moisture sensors to provide farmers with real-time information on irrigation, fertiliser and pesticide application. An Odia-language mobile application is also part of the technology package.
Singh Deo said adoption of technologies such as AI, semiconductors and electric mobility in agriculture and manufacturing could create high-skilled employment opportunities for the state’s youth and support higher farm incomes. “Our government, under the leadership of CM Mohan Charan Majhi, is committed to making Odisha a destination for innovation, industry, and inclusive growth,” he said.
“The proposal is currently at the discussion stage. If taken forward, the project would add an emerging technology component to the state’s efforts to attract investments in clean mobility, electronics and technology-driven agriculture,” Singh Deo added.