NIT Rourkela, ISRO’s NRSC, and Tea Board India partner for a three-year AI and geospatial research project to monitor tea plantations
OdishaPlus Bureau
The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela has signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Tea Board India (TBI) for a three-year research project aimed at using artificial intelligence and geospatial technologies to monitor tea plantations.
The MoU covers collaborative research under the Advanced Research and Development project titled ‘चायांकन (CHAYANKAN): Comprehensive AI-based Geospatial Data Analytics for Tea Plantation Monitoring’. The project began in April 2026 and will focus on tea plantation mapping, yield estimation, and forecasting of pests and diseases.
The agreement was signed on August 27 at RRSC-East, NRSC, Kolkata. It brings together NIT Rourkela, NRSC under the Department of Space, and Tea Board India under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for research involving remote sensing and artificial intelligence.
Under the project, researchers will use multi-source remote sensing data from satellite and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms, along with observations collected on the ground. The data will be analysed using machine learning techniques and modelling approaches to assess plantation conditions and productivity.
The project also includes the development of systems for forecasting pest and disease risks in tea plantations. The findings are expected to provide data that can be used for plantation monitoring and support decision-making related to the sector.
The MoU signing ceremony was attended by officials and scientists from the three institutions. Dr. Prakash Chauhan, Director, NRSC, participated virtually, while S. Soundararajan, Director (Tea Development), Tea Board India, and Prof. K. Umamaheshwar Rao, Director, NIT Rourkela, also joined virtually.
Dr. Sushil Kumar Srivastav, Associate Director and Chief General Manager (Regional Centres), NRSC, ISRO; Dr. Amrita Chakraborty, Secretary, Tea Board India; and Prof. Saurav Chatterjee, Dean (SRICCE), NIT Rourkela, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective institutions.
A project overview was presented by Dr. Arati Paul, Principal Investigator from RRSC-East, NRSC, along with Co-Principal Investigators Dr. Anima Biswal and Ms. J. Nalini from NRSC, and Dr. Anup Nandy from NIT Rourkela.
Senior officials and scientists from the three organisations were also present during the programme, including representatives from NRSC, Tea Board India and NIT Rourkela.
The project will examine the use of geospatial technologies, remote sensing and AI for scientific assessment of tea plantations. Its focus on plantation health, productivity and pest and disease forecasting is intended to provide additional data for monitoring tea-growing areas.