Google has announced new artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives in India covering agriculture, education and small businesses, including the use of AI to develop climate-resilient crops, train teachers and improve access to credit and markets for small enterprises. The initiatives include a collaboration to develop improved varieties of sorghum, or jowar, an expansion of AI training for teachers and $15 million in funding from Google.org to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
AI to develop climate-resilient crops
Google DeepMind and Google.org are partnering with the Hyderabad-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and research institutions in the US to use AI and genetic analysis to develop more resilient and productive sorghum varieties. The project will draw on a collection of more than 44,000 sorghum seed varieties from over 90 countries maintained by ICRISAT. Researchers will use genetic data and machine learning to identify promising plant combinations that could help breeders develop crops better suited to climate change.
Developing new crop varieties through conventional methods can take years of testing. Google said the AI-supported genetic catalogue would be made available as an open-access resource to researchers and breeders worldwide.
AI tools for farmers
Google is expanding access to its Agricultural Understanding models, which use AI to provide insights into farms and agricultural conditions. The company said Amnex had integrated its models into the Gujarat government's Krushi Pragati platform. The system has delivered more than 900 million SMS-based advisories to over 600,000 farmers in the state in the past year. The messages cover crop and soil health, pest and disease management, and weather patterns across 14 million hectares. Google is also making its agricultural models available in public preview through APIs, allowing developers, startups and researchers to build tools for local farming needs. The company is working with OpenAgriNet to explore ways to bring agricultural information from different sources onto a single platform.
AI training for teachers
Google said it has trained more than 80,000 educators through its AI Educator Series since launching the programme in May. The initiative helps teachers use tools such as Gemini to prepare lesson plans, create learning materials and reduce time spent on routine tasks.
The programme is expanding through partnerships with Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Google is also offering free, self-paced online training aligned with the National Education Policy 2020. The course is currently available in English, with several Indian-language versions planned.
$15 million for small businesses
Google.org is providing $15 million to The/Nudge to support India’s MSMEs, which employ more than 345 million people, according to the announcement. The funding will support the development of AI tools to help small businesses access formal credit, find markets and manage regulatory compliance. The initiative will also include an open call for proposals to identify solutions and a multilingual, voice-based platform to train people in smaller towns and connect them with local businesses.
