Google has granted a Mumbai based-Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence $2 million to create AI-based technologies that could help cut down crop losses in cotton farming, through integrated pest management.

Apart from this, Google Cloud and AI experts will also provide credit and consulting to Wadhwani Institute, which is among 20 recipients of the grant. Called the "Google AI Impact Challenge," Google invited nonprofits, social enterprises, and research institutions to submit ideas on how to use AI to help address societal challenges.

Around 20 organizations would be sharing a $25 million grant by Google for changing the world with AI.

Wadhwani’s project runs on a basic smartphone. It can classify and count pests based on photos of pest traps clicked by farmers. According to the Institute, the AI program can provide instant and localized advice that would help them in reducing cross loss.

“We received thousands of applications to the Google AI Impact Challenge and are excited that Wadhwani AI was selected to receive funding and expertise from Google. AI is at a nascent stage when it comes to the value it can have for the social impact sector, and we look forward to seeing the outcomes of this work and considering where there is potential for us to do even more,” said Jacquelline Fuller, President of Google.org.

The Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Mumbai was founded in February 2018 by an Indian American tech billionaire brothers Sunil and Romesh Wadhwani with an idea to dedicate $3 million each year for the next years to develop artificial intelligence for social good.

According to Raghu Dharmaraju, VP Products and Programs, small farmers are dependent on government and other non-profit programs at every step of the crop cycle. “We can help millions of farmers by resolving all the systematic challenges in large scale programs.”

By Sowmya Sangam