Lucknow: In a significant move to modernise its agricultural landscape, the Government of Uttar Pradesh has partnered with Google Cloud India to launch the Uttar Pradesh Open Network for Agriculture. This innovative platform, powered by Google’s Gemini framework and the Beckn Protocol, aims to provide millions of farmers with a comprehensive digital ecosystem. The network will offer essential services such as agricultural advisory, credit access, mechanisation, and market linkages, transforming how farmers engage with agricultural resources.

The initiative represents a significant leap forward in the state’s efforts to integrate digital solutions into its agricultural practices. Designed as a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), the network will enable farmers to access services effortlessly through voice commands in multiple languages, including Hindi, Bangla, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati, and Punjabi.

Manoj Kumar Singh, Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh and Chief Coordinator of the state’s Diversified Agriculture Support Project, highlighted the government’s commitment to leveraging technology for agricultural advancement. “This agreement demonstrates the Uttar Pradesh government's commitment to good governance and digital empowerment. The Open Network for Agriculture is a major step toward doubling farmers' income in Uttar Pradesh. It provides quick, accurate information on micro-climate and market prices, integrating data from weather stations installed in almost every tehsil. By leveraging AI, it addresses the digital divide and equips our farmers with the tools and resources they need to thrive in today’s day and age,” Singh said.

The network’s open and decentralised architecture distinguishes it from conventional marketplace applications. It allows various service providers, including input suppliers, financial institutions, and government agencies, to participate, fostering a more inclusive agricultural ecosystem.

Bikram Singh Bedi, Vice President and Country MD of Google Cloud India, underscored the project’s broader implications for digital public infrastructure. “We are keen on helping accelerate the adoption of digital public infrastructure (DPI) globally, and particularly in India where it has already demonstrated population-scale impact. We are proud to partner with the government of Uttar Pradesh on this pioneering initiative. Uttar Pradesh is one of India's largest agricultural states, with millions of farmers contributing significantly to the nation's food production. Technology is a critical building block for accelerating the state’s progress in agriculture, and through this Gemini-powered Open Network, the government has created an open and decentralised approach that innovators can leverage to build and deploy solutions for farmers,” Bedi said.

The project also showcases Google Cloud’s DPI-in-a-box solution, a scalable approach to public sector digitisation. By employing the Beckn Protocol, an open standard for decentralised service discovery, the initiative aims to enhance the digital connectivity of India’s agricultural economy.

Sujith Nair, CEO and Co-Founder of the Foundation for Interoperability in Digital Economy (FIDE), the organisation behind the Beckn Protocol, expressed enthusiasm about the initiative’s potential. “The digital economy in India is still not reaching its true potential, especially when it comes to unlocking access and enabling the exchange of value at population scale, be it for small retailers or drivers in urban commerce or even for our farmer fraternity. Beckn aims to change that by demonstrating how agri-commerce and agri-advisory can be open, decentralised, and value-generating for everyone. We're thrilled to see the Uttar Pradesh Government and Google Cloud India leverage Beckn Protocol to launch a state-wide Open Network for Agriculture in India,” Nair said.

As Uttar Pradesh embarks on this digital transformation, the initiative is poised to become a cornerstone in building a more resilient and prosperous agricultural sector, setting a precedent for similar developments across the country.

BI Bureau