lo TechWorld's AGRIBOT GAME-CHANGER IN SMART FARMING

Agribot from loTechWorld is poised to revolutionise India’s agriculture industry by delivering comprehensive services nationwide.

- Nitisha Dubey, Yashasvini Razdan, Nitisha Dubey

The Gurugram-based startup, IoTechWorld Avigation Pvt Ltd, founded in 2017 by Deepak Bhardwaj and Anoop Upadhyay, manufactures agricultural drones called the Agribot and Agri Robot.

Deepak Bhardwaj explains that the company’s name, IoTech, is derived from the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT). While their current drones fly using radio signals, they are developing models that will utilise 4G and 5G networks and integrate with the Internet. IoTechWorld develops nearly all components inhouse, including motor propellers, AC power distribution boards, flight controllers, ground control stations, radar, pumps, and more.

The startup’s primary focus is on agriculture, where its drones serve the main purposes of spraying plant protection chemicals, fertilisers, and similar substances. They offer two categories of drones: small, with a total weight of less than 25 kilograms, and medium, which weigh slightly more. In the small category, they have the Agribot and Agribot A6. In the medium category, they have developed the Agri Robot MX, which comes with various advanced features. Using a 4G network, it can transmit data to the cloud, allowing users to monitor their drones on a dashboard from their office. Although current regulations by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) do not permit video transmission to customers, they have this capability available.

Their claim to fame lies in their smart-range battery and unique, patentable failsafe features. For collision avoidance, they utilise radar technology that not only detects obstacles but also navigates around them, unlike other systems that merely stop.

This startup’s software supports multiple languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Punjabi, and Marathi. Anoop explains, “We have complete control over our hardware, firmware, and software, which makes our intellectual property difficult to replicate, as it requires access to both the hardware and software components.”