Bhubaneswar: Silicon Valley-based high-technology firm FarmX on Saturday submitted a Rs 1,000 crore investment proposal to the Odisha government to establish the state as an advanced manufacturing and export hub for autonomous electric tractors, AI software, robotics and intelligent farm systems.
A FarmX delegation led by Chief Operating Officer Premal Ashar and head of AI Lalit Bhatt met Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, officials of the Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy departments, and Additional Chief Secretary Vishal Kumar Dev to discuss the proposal.
In a post on X, Singh Deo said: “Last night in Bhubaneswar, I met the leadership of FarmX, a Silicon Valley firm bringing cutting‑edge AI, robotics, and electric mobility to agriculture. They have presented a Rs 1,000 crore investment proposal to establish Odisha as a global hub for autonomous electric tractors and intelligent farm systems.”
The proposed project combines a state-of-the-art manufacturing campus with a smart precision farming initiative. It is planned to create up to 1,120 direct and 3,700 indirect jobs in specialised technology fields.
The proposed campus is expected to have an annual production capacity of 1,000 autonomous electric tractors and one lakh field-sensing units for both domestic and international markets.
Highlighting Odisha’s focus on deep-technology adoption, Singh Deo said the state was actively attracting global innovators in artificial intelligence, semiconductors and electric mobility.
He further said the effort was aimed at creating high-skilled employment opportunities for local youth while improving agricultural productivity.
The initiative also proposes to bring FarmX’s agricultural technology to local fields through FarmMap, the company’s open-architecture platform. The system 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.
According to the proposal, these technologies are intended to optimise the use of water, fertilisers and pesticides in farming.
The investment proposal is currently under active discussion. The initiative reflects Odisha’s efforts to provide infrastructure, policy support and global market connectivity for technology-driven industries, according to the proposal.
