‍

Athena Infonomics is beginning a new chapter of collaboration with the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Gates Foundation to strengthen primary-sector systems through data, intelligence, and farmer-centric innovation.

A meeting between the Athena Infonomics team and the Gates Foundation India, with Shri B. Rajsekhar, I.A.S., Ex-Officio Special Chief Secretary to Government, Agriculture and Cooperation Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Dr. Manazir Jeelani Samoon, IAS, Director of Agriculture, Government of Andhra Pradesh and agri-allied sector department heads, marked the initiation of a state-led initiative to reimagine Rythu Seva Kendras (RSKs) as AI-enabled decision intelligence hubs serving small-scale and tenant farmers across agriculture, horticulture, livestock, and fisheries sectors.

Aligning with the state’s Swarna Andhra@2047 vision, driving 15% annual growth rate in the primary sector through data-driven decision-making, climate resilience, and market-oriented pathways promoting sustainability and inclusion—the partnership harnesses artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to democratize access to precise hyper-local insights. The collaboration transforms RSKs from administrative service units into dynamic, tech-powered problem-solving units that deliver hyper-localized, real-time advisories on crop health, pest alerts, optimal input application, livestock management, fisheries practices, and market opportunities—tailored specifically for the smallholder and tenant farmer context.

At the heart of this transformation is AI-driven innovation:

• Intelligent Advisory Systems that analyze satellite imagery, weather patterns, soil data, and local agricultural practices to generate personalized, actionable recommendations delivered directly to farmers through RSK touchpoints in Telugu via WhatsApp, IVR, and SMS
• Predictive Analytics that enable RSKs to anticipate pest outbreaks, disease risks, input shortages, and market gluts—empowering proactive rather than reactive interventions
• Real-time Dashboards integrated with AP AIMS 2.0 that provide RSK staff, extension workers, and department officials with live visibility into farmer needs, scheme coverage gaps, input supply chain status, and emerging ground-level challenges
• Household-level GVA Tracking and Enhancement using AI-powered recommendations to boost farmer incomes across all four primary sectors, ensuring evidence-based targeting and continuous program refinement
• Market Intelligence Integration connecting farmers—especially tenant farmers with limited bargaining power—to real-time price information, quality standards, and buyer networks through RSK-facilitated digital platforms

Athena, along with our partner Catalyst Management Services (CMS), is working closely with GoAP and the Gates Foundation to shape the digital and AI-enablement layer guiding this transformation. This includes strengthening linkages with AP AIMS 2.0, improving real-time decision systems, and laying the foundation for a state-anchored Programme Management Unit that supports RSKs as dynamic service hubs.

The goal is to support a model that is:
‍

1. ‍Farmer-responsive – enabling RSK teams to act on timely, actionable insights‍
2. Evidence-driven – improving planning and governance across primary-sector institutions‍
3. Scalable and institutionally owned – ensuring long-term continuity‍
4. Replicable – offering a pathway other states can adapt

At the Nallajerla village in Andhra Pradesh, the Government, along with research, and technology partners came together to accelerate Andhra Pradesh’s next generation of farmer services. Teams from the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the Gates Foundation India, Athena Infonomics, Catalyst Management Services, Vassar Labs, and Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University convened to assess on-ground needs and chart a stronger, technology-led path for rural communities.

Senior Government leaders including Shri Budithi Rajsekhar IAS (Retd), Ex-Officio Special Chief Secretary (Agriculture & Cooperation); Dr Manazir Jeelani Samoon, IAS (Director of Agriculture); Shri Rama Shankar Naik IAS (Commissioner of Fisheries); and Dr. T. Damodar Naidu (Director of the Animal Husbandry), steered the discussions, outlining priorities and next steps for strengthening farmer-facing systems. They were joined by Siddharth Chaturvedi(Senior Program Officer, Agriculture Development, Asia) from Gates Foundation, Nikhilesh Kumar (Founder & CEO) and NDRK SARMA (Agri Advisor) from Vassar Labs.

A key highlight of the day was a live drone demonstration by Marut Drones, led by Prem Kumar V, in collaboration with Dr. Rabi Narayan Sahoo, Principal Scientist & Programme Leader – Precision Agriculture and a team of scientists from ICAR– IARI (ICAR- Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Indian Agricultural Research Institute).

The demonstration showcased how drones combined with an AI-based intelligence layer can reduce input costs for spraying, pest detection, fertiliser application and other services to farmers in a timely, accurate, and cost-effective manner — strengthening their resilience and reducing input risk.

Across the discussions, one shared vision emerged clearly: RSKs must become stronger, smarter village-level hubs — equipped to deliver data-driven guidance, AI-enabled advisories, meaningful market access, and cutting-edge technologies that help farmers raise their incomes and improve productivity.

This partnership unites GoAP, Athena Infonomics, the Gates Foundation, CMS, Vassar Labs, ANGRAU, ICAR–IARI, and Marut Drones and marks an important step toward building a more resilient, technology-enabled, and income-enhancing agricultural ecosystem for Andhra Pradesh’s farming communities.

‍

‍

We are thankful to Smt. RVV Swarna Vijaya (Deputy Director - Planning, Department of Agriculture, GoAP), Smt. M.Vijaya Suneetha IAS (Director of Agricultural Marketing, GoAP), for their presence and guidance towards the project.

We look forward to continuing this collaboration with GoAP to establish Andhra Pradesh as a global exemplar of AI-enabled, inclusive agricultural transformation and to strengthen each RSK as an AI-powered node of rural transformation.

‍

To know more about the project, you can reach out to Amit Chakravarty, Soumya Alamuru, Michael Minkoff, Abdul Latheef, Suvabrata Roy, Ankit Chatri, Doyita Basu, Aarushi Aggarwal.

‍

Read related news coverage: 

1. A.P. Agriculture Department’s initiative to boost farmers’ income through value addition - The Hindu
2. Govt. initiates move to enhance farmer’s income - Times of India
3. AP Agriculture Dept Rolls Out Data-Driven Plan To Boost Farmers’ GVA, Net Income - Deccan Chronicle
4. Initiative launched to boost farmers’ income - The Hans India

‍

Image used for representational purposes only; source: Canva