Bhubaneswar: Silicon Valley-based high-technology firm FarmX has submitted a Rs 1,000 crore investment proposal to the Odisha government to establish an advanced manufacturing and export hub for autonomous electric tractors, artificial intelligence (AI) software, robotics and intelligent farming systems in the state.
A delegation led by FarmX Chief Operating Officer Premal Ashar and Head of AI Lalit Bhatt met Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Additional Chief Secretary for Electronics & Information Technology (E&IT) Vishal Kumar Dev on Saturday to discuss the proposal.
The proposed investment is aimed at creating a state-of-the-art manufacturing campus along with a smart precision-farming initiative. The project is expected to create up to 1,120 direct and 3,700 indirect jobs, particularly in specialised technology fields.
According to the proposal, the manufacturing facility would have an annual production capacity of 1,000 autonomous electric tractors and one lakh field-sensing units for domestic as well as international markets.
Singh Deo said Odisha was actively working to attract global innovators in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and electric mobility.
He said the state’s focus was on promoting deep-technology adoption, creating high-skilled employment opportunities for local youth and improving agricultural productivity.
The proposed initiative also seeks to introduce advanced agricultural technologies in Odisha through FarmMap, FarmX’s open-architecture platform.
The platform uses satellite imagery, patented OSMO soil-moisture sensors and a regional-language mobile application in Odia to provide real-time farm intelligence and automated irrigation.
The technology is designed to help farmers optimise the use of water, fertilisers and pesticides while improving farm-level decision-making.
The company’s proposal is currently under discussion with the state government. The initiative is expected to leverage Odisha’s industrial infrastructure and policy support while providing FarmX with access to domestic and international markets.
