In India, the passenger electric vehicles (EVs) market itself is itself in its infancy. But moves are also afoot in other areas where EVs can be deployed. Agriculture and farming, for example.
Monarch Tractor, maker of the first fully electric, driver-optional, smart tractor, which has been keen on the Indian market is now expanding its footprint here.
The American company, which has opened its first office in Hyderabad, has also entered into a major technology agreement with AI and machine vision analytics startup Einsite.
Autonomous tractors on the anvil
Monarch Tractor's tie up Einsite is to work on the development of edge applications and autonomy models and algorithms. Yes, you read it, they are working on autonomous tractor models, which actually makes sense. For, farm lands, which are bound and controlled, are better bets for autonomous vehicles than the randomness of Indian roads.
"We’re proud to partner with the Monarch team and share our joint expertise to maximize autonomous solutions that enable farmers to achieve new levels of productivity," said Anirudh Reddy, founder, Einsite.
The company uses machine-mounted cameras and sensors to capture site activity, and in-cab edge computers. It has deployed its tech onto several construction and mining projects.
"We have found strong synergy with Einsite in both our missions and areas of work," said Praveen Penmetsa, co-founder & CEO, Monarch Tractor. "Einsite’s mission of making dynamic, outdoor industries more productive aligns with our goal of modernizing the farm."
Monarch Tractor delivers a convergence of electrification, automation and data analysis which can help in sustainable farming. The company is actively working with various agencies in advocating for the advancement of autonomous agriculture equipment. But government permission in the US has been hard to come by.
In India, Monarch Tractor is already in a technical partnership with VST Tillers Tractors. The two companies have worked collaboratively for over a year on the technical development of tractor hardware for the first series of Monarch Tractors. Monarch Tractor launched the world’s first fully electric, driver-optional, smart tractor in December 2020.
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