A startup incubated in Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kashipur, Uttarakhand has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) and internet of things (IoT) based device which could help in real-time monitoring of the quality and quantity of food and agriculture products.
The device developed could largely help in monitoring the quality of food being offered to children in schools under the mid-day meal programme in the country.
It could also potentially help the farmers in selling their produce directly to the buyers by enabling the buyers to assess the quality of the produce from any corner of the state.
Ankur Jain, founder and CEO of the startup named Udyog Yantra said, “The device was developed in about one and a half years before it was launched in March this year.”
“It is based on AI and IoT based mechanism with connection to the internet. Recognised by Startup India, the device ensures real time monitoring and quality control of food, agricultural and farm supplies” said Jain.
He informed that the startup is in talks with some state governments to install the device in schools to monitor and control the quality of food served under mid-day meal programme.
“Once installed in the schools, if a child with his mid-day meal food stands in front of the device, it will provide all information like how much nutrients it has, its temperature and even quantity. This will help the authorities concerned to monitor the programme, riddled with complaints of sub-standard food,” said Jain.
“It would have been installed in some schools of the country by now but due to Covid-19, it got delayed,” said Jain.
Startup co-founder Puneet Gulati, said the device would also be very helpful in farmers selling their produce anywhere in the world.
“Usually, there are middlemen in between the farmers and the buyers. But if the farmer wants to sell his produce on the basis of quality claims, this device will enable him to contact the potential buyer sitting anywhere. The buyer will be able to evaluate the quality and quantity of the produce and match it with farmers claims,” said Gulati.
Gulati add that the device has been used by some cloud kitchen platforms in Mumbai to let the customers know the quality and quantity of the food they were going to buy.