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 to collaborate on AI-driven geospatial technologies for tea plantation monitoring. The MoU was signed on August 27 at the Regional Remote Sensing Centre-East (RRSC-East) of NRSC in Kolkata under the Advanced Research and Development project, “CHAYANKAN: Comprehensive AI-based Geospatial Data Analytics for Tea Plantation Monitoring.”
The three-year project, which commenced in April 2026, aims to develop advanced geospatial and artificial intelligence-based solutions for tea plantation mapping, yield estimation, and pest and disease forecasting. As part of the initiative, researchers will integrate satellite imagery, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based remote sensing data, and ground observations using advanced machine learning and modelling techniques. The project seeks to strengthen scientific monitoring of tea plantations and support evidence-based decision-making across the tea sector.
The MoU signing ceremony was attended virtually by NRSC Director Dr Prakash Chauhan and NIT Rourkela Director Prof. K. Umamaheshwar Rao, while Tea Board India Director (Tea Development) S. Soundararajan participated in person. Dr Arindam Guha, Deputy General Manager, RRSC-East, welcomed the dignitaries. The agreement was signed by 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, who signed virtually on behalf of the institute.
The programme was attended by senior officials and scientists from all three organisations. Dr Arati Paul, Principal Investigator from RRSC-East, presented an overview of the CHAYANKAN project, accompanied by Co-Principal Investigators Dr Anima Biswal, J. Nalini, and Dr Anup Nandy from NIT Rourkela. Speaking on the occasion, the dignitaries underscored the potential of geospatial technologies, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence in advancing the scientific management of tea plantations. They noted that the initiative would improve the assessment of plantation health and productivity while enabling timely forecasting of pest and disease outbreaks.
The collaboration marks a significant step towards strengthening research partnerships between NIT Rourkela, ISRO, and Tea Board India, while accelerating the adoption of advanced digital technologies to address emerging challenges in India’s tea industry.