THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Soon, cattle in the state may get an animal identification system similar to Aadhaar. In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) has come up with an innovation challenge for startups to promote smart dairy farming and livestock management.
Through the ‘Internet of Cattle (IoC) Innovation Challenge’, the KSUM expects the unique number will help identify cattle, provide alerts on their health and genetic mapping including pedigree and possible milk yield. The details of the initiative were announced at the first IoT summit being hosted by the KSUM.
Startups should come up with a set of cost-effective internet of things (IoT) devices that could monitor the vital parameters of cows including their health and detect diseases early. KSUM CEO Anoop Ambika said the IoC Innovation Challenge is a unique concept and the mission is proud to introduce it for the benefit of the animal husbandry sector.
He noted that IoT, which has immense possibilities, can potentially change the way things are operated now.“The information overload has created a lot of aspirational needs for the youth and they are out there to explore the world. But we want them to bring back the experience and knowledge for the betterment of the country,” the CEO said.
“The state is seriously analysing the youths who aspire to go abroad with the advent of the Internet. We want startups to create an ecosystem that makes people aspire to come back and settle down in the country,” Anoop suggested.
Anoop urged youngsters to come up with exciting ideas, consolidate them after listening to experts and make use of the system available with the government in the form of infrastructure, grants and funds. According to him, sensitisation in terms of what is possible will be the output of the IoT summit.
At the summit, KSUM signed an MoU with Kerala Medical Technology Consortium (KMTC) to promote innovations and entrepreneurship in medical technology, medical devices and allied areas.
Anoop and KMTC special officer Padmakumar C exchanged the MoU. Around 15 selected startups showcased their innovative products at the IoT Startup Expo held on the sidelines of the summit. KSUM is Kerala government’s nodal agency for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the state.