The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) under the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Government of India, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, hosted the Second Meeting of the UN Global Initiative on AI for Agri-Food Systems (GI-AI4FS) alongside India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 in New Delhi. This UN Global Initiative is coordinated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in close collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and World Food Programme (WFP).
The meeting attracted approximately 70 in-person delegates and 25 online participants, representing international organizations, government departments, agricultural research institutions, academia, industry, and standards development organizations. The focus was on advancing global cooperation for the application of Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in transforming agriculture and food systems.
The inaugural session featured opening remarks by Dr. Sebastian Bosse, Chair of GI-AI4FS, followed by keynote addresses from Mr. Krishnan Pallassana (Senior Specialist – Strategy, Innovation & Partnerships, FAO), Dr. Bilel Jamoussi (Deputy Director, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, ITU), Dr. A. K. Nayak (Deputy Director General for Natural Resource Management, ICAR), and Mr. Syed Tausif Abbas (Senior Deputy Director General & Head, TEC, DoT, India).
The meeting emphasized the growing role of AI, IoT, and digital connectivity in transforming agricultural practices, highlighting how integrated technologies like connected sensors, weather stations, drones, satellite-based systems, and AI-enabled analytics can support precision agriculture, improve resource utilization, enable early disease detection, and enhance decision-making for farmers. Digital technologies were also noted for their potential to improve traceability, reduce post-harvest losses, and increase efficiency across agricultural supply chains.
This main meeting was preceded by a 2-day International Hackathon on 'AI for Agri-Food Systems' held on October 8-9, 2026, jointly hosted by TEC and ICAR at the ICAR campus in New Delhi. The hackathon provided a platform for students, researchers, developers, and innovators to develop practical technology solutions addressing real-world agricultural challenges. The GI-AI4FS meeting featured a showcase of outcomes from this hackathon, where shortlisted teams presented their AI applications, followed by an award ceremony recognizing outstanding innovations and contributions from participants, partners, and mentors.
The meeting also addressed governance and organizational development matters, including deliberations on the proposed governance and coordination structure, nomination and confirmation of Working Group Chairs and Co-Chairs, Terms of Reference for Working Groups, and identification of priority areas and initial work streams. The overall objective was to advance dialogue on responsible AI use in agriculture by promoting trustworthy, interoperable, farmer-centric solutions, strengthening international cooperation on governance and standards, and identifying opportunities to translate innovation into practical applications.