ICRISAT, Soket AI join forces to build AI tools for climate-smart agriculture
The partnership will combine agricultural research and artificial intelligence to improve decision-making for farmers, researchers and policymakers across the Global South.
AFRICA/ASIA/LATIN AMERICA – The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has signed a partnership with Soket AI Labs to develop artificial intelligence tools that can support agricultural research, climate resilience and farm decision-making, as climate shocks continue to affect farming communities across the Global South.
The two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on May 27, 2026, with the aim of combining agricultural science, climate knowledge and AI technologies to create practical solutions for farmers, researchers, extension officers and policymakers.
ICRISAT said the partnership will bring together its experience in agricultural science, climate adaptation and digital innovation with Soket AI’s expertise in artificial intelligence and foundation model development.
“Artificial intelligence has the potential to reshape how agricultural knowledge is created, accessed and applied,” said Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICRISAT.
“To deliver impact, AI systems must be grounded in science, trusted data and local realities. Agriculture demands more than generic AI, it requires systems that can reason with context and support better decisions.”
He added: “Together, we aim to develop AI solutions that address the complex challenges facing agriculture across the Global South.”
Soket AI is an Indian artificial intelligence company supported through the Government of India’s IndiaAI Mission. The company focuses on developing large-scale AI models that support reasoning, multilingual capabilities and applications relevant to countries in the Global South.
Under the agreement, the partners will work on building large agricultural knowledge databases, developing reasoning-based AI systems for agriculture, strengthening AI advisory tools and exploring agriculture-specific foundation models. The collaboration will also focus on multilingual AI systems that can improve access to information for farmers and other agricultural stakeholders.
“Together with ICRISAT, we look forward to developing next-generation AI solutions that can create meaningful impact for agriculture and farming communities at scale,” said Mr Abhishek Upperwal, Founder and CEO of Soket AI.
ICRISAT said the initiative forms part of its wider efforts to apply AI in agricultural research and knowledge sharing. The organization plans to use the partnership to support scientific research and provide useful insights to farming communities.
The project will be led by Dr Shalander Kumar, Principal Scientist at ICRISAT, and Dr G Kishore Kumar, Associate Scientist. ICRISAT said the work will contribute to CGIAR’s digital transformation agenda by combining advanced AI capabilities with agricultural science to support evidence-based decisions across agrifood systems.
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