Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday announced that the Pune Agri Hackathon will be scaled up to a state-wide event starting next year, with the first prize to be awarded in the name of the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The announcement came at the prize distribution ceremony of the second Pune Agri Hackathon, held at the College of Agriculture, Pune. The event began on May 15 and concluded on Sunday.
Fadnavis also digitally inaugurated the foundation stone laying for an Agri Innovation and Incubation Centre to be built on the college campus.
Jointly organised by the Pune District Administration and the Department of Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra, the competition drew 1,290 entries this year – double the number from its inaugural edition last year.
Addressing the gathering, the Maharashtra Chief Minister said the integration of modern research and innovation is essential to make agriculture sustainable, technology-driven, and productive. “Initiatives such as this competition are proving instrumental in giving a new direction to the future agricultural ecosystem,” he said.
He assured that all 18 selected innovations from this year would receive special assistance and guidance, and that the government would strive to ensure at least 12 of them successfully reach the market.
According to the CM, Four projects from the inaugural competition have commenced actual production, while another 12 are set to enter the market shortly.
Among the projects showcased this year were tools using satellite mapping and soil testing for land analysis, systems designed to regulate soil moisture based on farm topography, and technologies aimed at improving crop assessment for insurance claims.
Story continues below this ad
‘Soil should meet silicon’
Agriculture Commissioner Suraj Mandhare flagged the mounting pressures on farmers. “Temperatures have crossed 43-44 degrees Celsius, and according to traditional study, even if the temperature rises by only one degree it causes an 8 per cent drop in agricultural output,” he said, pointing out that changing weather patterns, water scarcity, El Niño conditions, and labour shortages have become persistent challenges.
“There is no major solution other than technological support to overcome the upcoming challenges,” Mandhare said, adding that organic carbon levels in soil have depleted sharply, making it harder to determine the right quantity of urea, leading to overuse.
He referred to the MahaVISTAAR-AI app, which provides weather-related and crop advisory information to farmers, and said the competition aimed to create space for technological solutions addressing issues such as labour shortages and irrigation management.
The Agriculture Commisioner also noted Maharashtra’s broader firsts: “We are the first state to frame a dedicated AI policy, and the first to establish an AI and AgriTech Innovation Centre. The state is leading the way toward the goal where soil meets silicon.”
Honouring hackathon’s originator
Story continues below this ad
Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne recalled that the international agri hackathon in Pune was conceptualised by Ajit Pawar. “He always thought of the betterment of farmers, and even in his absence, the agriculture ministry will keep working towards farmer welfare,” Bharne said.
Fadnavis also acknowledged Pawar’s role in initiating the event.
The event was attended by Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni, Minister of Higher and Technical Education Chandrakant Patil, MLAs Hemant Rasane and Yogesh Tilekar, and Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi, among others.Winners in each category received Rs 12.5 lakh, while runners-up were awarded Rs 7.5 lakh.
Winners & Runner-ups
1) Smart Water Management:
– Winner: IOH Engineering
– Runner-up: Farmore Team
2) Agricultural Mechanisation – AI & Robotics:
– Winner: Agritech Nexus
– Runner-up: Team VNMKV
3) Agri Processing & Value Chain:
– Winner: Win Win Bites
– Runner-up: SilkScan Innovators
4) Renewable Energy & Agri Waste Management:
– Winner: Proto Feeds
– Runner-up: EcoXtract
5) Crop Protection & Pest Management:
– Winner: Smart Bio Delivery
– Runner-up: Krishi Netra
6) Climate Resilient & Digital Farming:
– Winner: Deep Ang Bots
– Runner-up: Modern Village Future Innovation
7) Soil Health & Management:
– Winner: Kisan Sathi
– Runner-up: Nanovita International Pvt. Ltd
8) Geospatial & GIS-Based Survey:
– Winner: CropGen AI
– Runner-up: Green Minds
9) AI for Smart Agri Governance:
– Winner: E-Pik Audit AI
– Runner-up: Krishi Prabandh
