# Google partners with icrisat and others to apply AI to climate‑resilient crops in India

Digest AI · Society & Work · published 2026-10-15T22:27:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/google-partners-with-icrisat-and-others-to-apply-ai-to-climateresilien

## Summary

Google announced a new AI‑focused partnership with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi‑Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, and the University of Washington's Department of Genome Sciences. Led by Google DeepMind and Google.org, the effort will target climate‑resilient, nutrient‑rich sorghum (jowar) and aim to build a genetic atlas of indigenous sorghum varieties for uses ranging from food to biofuel. The collaboration also includes a three‑year postdoctoral fellowship at ICRISAT, the first such fellowship in India and the first outside the UK, to develop tools for characterising genomes of other key crops such as chickpea, groundnut and pigeon peas.

Google already runs AI‑driven agri services in India. Its AnthroKrishi programme supplies AI model APIs to Gujarat’s Krushi Pragati platform, delivering over 900 million SMS advisories to more than 600,000 farmers. The company’s AI Educator Series has reached over 80,000 teachers, and Google.org is providing $15 million to The Nudge to support MSME growth.

## Key points

- Google DeepMind and Google.org partner with ICRISAT, HudsonAlpha, and UW to build AI tools for climate‑resilient sorghum and other crops.
- Initiative includes a three‑year postdoctoral fellowship at ICRISAT and aims to create a genetic atlas of sorghum varieties.
- Google’s AnthroKrishi platform already delivered over 900 million SMS advisories to 600,000 Indian farmers; Google.org is funding $15 million for MSME growth.

## Why it matters

AI‑driven crop research could boost food security in India's drylands, helping farmers adapt to climate change while supporting biotech innovation and rural economies.

## Sources

1. [Google says AI can help Indian farmers deal with climate change better](https://indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/google-says-ai-can-help-indian-farmers-deal-with-climate-change-better-3018577-2026-10-16) (indiatoday.in, 2026-10-15)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Google partners with icrisat and others to apply AI to climate‑resilient crops in India", 15 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/google-partners-with-icrisat-and-others-to-apply-ai-to-climateresilien

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