TRL 7–9
Commercial Readiness
Rigorously tested in operational orchards, mandis, and packing houses across J&K.
MeitY & C-DAC National Initiative
🏛️ Technology Transfer Office
⭐ TRL 7–9 Validated
Indigenous Agri-Tech Solutions Ready for Commercialisation
Field-proven non-destructive AI vision sorting lines, steep-orchard robotic harvesters, rapid neurotoxin biosensors, and smart vertical aeroponic growth chambers engineered for high-value apple, walnut, and saffron value chains—available for commercial licensing, industrial manufacture, and enterprise partnership.
7 Solutions
Consortium Innovations
Robotic harvesting, computer vision sorting, rapid chemical screening, and climate chambers.
10×–15×
Productivity Multiplier
Unmatched throughput acceleration, near-zero fruit bruising, and massive labor cost reductions.
MeitY & C-DAC
Standardized Transfer
Structured licensing guidelines, patent protection, CAD files, and technical handholding.
By Crop:
By Domain:
● TRL 8 Ready
🍎 Apple Value Chain
AI Non-Destructive Apple Defect & Quality Sorter
Lead Labs: C-DAC Kolkata & SKUAST-K
⚡ 900 apples/min Continuous Sorting (<65ms Latency)
High-throughput dual-modality grading system combining continuous low-dose X-ray transmission for hidden internal defects (water core, bitter pit, internal browning) with 360° CCD multi-camera machine vision for surface blemish and scab classification.
- Detects internal rot invisible to human inspectors before cold storage packing.
- Cuts post-harvest CA-store decay losses by up to 35%.
- Gentle pneumatic air-ejectors guarantee zero fruit bruising or impact damage.
| Throughput | 900 fruits/min (multi-lane scalable) |
|---|---|
| Sensors | Low-dose X-Ray Line Sensor + 360° Color CCD |
| Accuracy | 98.2% internal defect; 99.1% external size/color |
| Power Rating | 230V AC Single Phase, 50Hz, 1.8 kW |
| Integration | Industrial Ethernet, Modbus TCP, Cloud Analytics |
● TRL 8 Ready
🥜 Walnut Value Chain
TechWalnut Tractor-Mounted Hydraulic Harvester
Lead Labs: CSIR-CMERI Durgapur & SKUAST-K
🚜 85–92% Nut Detachment in <12 Seconds
High-efficiency tractor-mounted mechanical tree shaker with an integrated hydraulic inverted umbrella catching skirt. Replaces life-threatening manual pole beating in tall Kashmiri walnut trees while preventing nuts from impacting soil.
- Frequency-tuned dual-eccentric vibration (18–26 Hz) prevents bark peeling.
- Eliminates hazardous tree climbing accidents and fall fatalities.
- Reduces orchard harvest labor time and cost by over 70%.
| Tractor Power | Compatible with standard 45–55 HP tractors |
|---|---|
| Catching Diameter | 6.5m hydraulically expanding umbrella skirt |
| Trunk Gripper | Neoprene-lined hydraulic clamp with pressure relief |
| Field Capacity | 40 to 55 mature walnut trees per operating hour |
| Mounting | Standard 3-point Category-II linkage & PTO drive |
● TRL 7 Validated
🥜 Walnut Value Chain
TechWalnut Acoustic & Vision In-Shell Sorter
Lead Labs: C-DAC Kolkata & SKUAST-K
⚡ 120 nuts/sec Continuous Line Sorting
Sensor-fusion in-shell separator combining acoustic plate resonance detection with NIR hyperspectral imaging. Automatically identifies empty, pest-eaten, shrivelled, or fungal kernels inside intact shells at conveyor speeds.
- Stops bitter, fungal, and empty walnuts from contaminating export shipments.
- Elevates premium export grade realization by 25% to 40%.
- High-speed solenoid air jets sort nuts into Grade A, Grade B, and Rejects.
| Sorting Rate | 120 nuts/second continuous conveyor feed |
|---|---|
| Sensors | Piezo-electric acoustic impact + NIR Vision line |
| Accuracy | 96.8% correct defect classification |
| Power Input | 415V AC 3-Phase, 50Hz, 2.2 kW |
| Pneumatics | 6.0 bar clean dry compressed air; solenoid valves |
● TRL 8 Ready
🥜 Food Safety & Export
Rapid Portable Aflatoxin Screening Instrument
Lead Labs: C-DAC Kolkata & SKUAST-K
🔬 <5 Min Field Test (Limit <2 ppb)
Handheld fluorometric and electrochemical biosensor for rapid detection of neurotoxic aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2) in walnut kernels. Delivers laboratory-grade quantitative safety certification directly at mandis, orchards, and loading docks.
- Replaces cumbersome 48-hour HPLC laboratory tests with a 5-minute field scan.
- Crucial for compliance with strict EU and Gulf food safety export regulations.
- Battery-powered handheld instrument with Bluetooth thermal certificate printing.
| Detection Limit | <2 ppb (Parts Per Billion); Range: 1.0–50.0 ppb |
|---|---|
| Assay Time | Under 5 minutes total test turnaround |
| Sample Prep | Simplified 2-minute non-hazardous extraction buffer |
| Battery Life | 8+ hours continuous use (Rechargeable Li-ion) |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C, Android App sync |
● TRL 7 Validated
🌸 Saffron Value Chain
Agribot Autonomous Field Weeder for Saffron Beds
Lead Labs: CMTI Bengaluru & SKUAST-K
🤖 0.25 Hectare/Day Autonomous RTK Navigation
Lightweight autonomous tracked robotic rover engineered for dense saffron beds in Pampore's Karewa plateaus. Uses real-time edge AI computer vision to differentiate emerging saffron shoots from weeds, deploying precision micro-tillers without damaging corms.
- Ultra-low ground pressure (<12 kPa) prevents sub-surface corm soil compaction.
- Eliminates painful manual weeding in sub-zero autumn weather.
- Autonomous obstacle avoidance with RTK centimeter-accurate navigation.
| Drive System | Dual rubber tracks with differential brushless motors |
|---|---|
| AI Vision | Intel RealSense Depth RGB-D + Edge TPU processor |
| Weed Classification | >95% accuracy in distinguishing weeds from saffron |
| Battery & Runtime | 48V 60Ah LiFePO4 (6 hours continuous field duty) |
| Tooling | Sub-surface dual rotary micro-tillers & micro-sprayer |
● TRL 7 Validated
🌸 Saffron Post-Harvest
Robotic Flower Plucker & Stigma Separator
Lead Labs: CMTI Bengaluru & SKUAST-K
🌸 100% Crocin & Safranal Bio-Active Retention
High-speed delta robotic manipulator with food-grade soft silicone micro-grippers and macro-vision cameras. Automates the delicate separation of deep-red saffron stigmas from styles and petals, solving the severe 15-day harvest labor crunch.
- Automates the most labor-intensive step in saffron production.
- Zero human touch ensures pristine hygiene and ISO Grade-I saffron quality.
- Controlled gentle pneumatic detachment prevents stigma breakage or bruising.
| Manipulator Type | 3-DOF high-speed parallel delta robot |
|---|---|
| End-Effector | Soft pneumatic silicone suction & micro-tweezer |
| Separation Speed | 40 to 50 saffron flowers per minute per unit |
| Vision Guidance | High-res macro RGB camera with floral junction AI |
| Power Input | 230V AC Single Phase, 850W silent air supply |
● TRL 8 Ready
🌸 Controlled Agriculture
Smart Precision Microclimate Growth Chamber
Lead Labs: C-DAC Kolkata & SKUAST-K
❄️ Year-Round Multi-Cycle Corm Multiplication
Fully automated vertical aeroponic growth chamber with multi-spectrum photoperiod LED lighting, chilling cycle simulation, and vapor-pressure deficit (VPD) regulation. Enables indoor round-the-year multiplication of virus-free saffron corms.
- Insulates Kashmir's GI saffron heritage from erratic rainfall and global warming.
- Enables 2 to 3 flowering cycles per year under programmed microclimates.
- Modular containerized design expandable from research lab to commercial scale.
| Temperature Range | -5°C to +35°C (±0.5°C precision chiller & heater) |
|---|---|
| Humidity (RH) | 40% to 95% with ultrasonic fine-fogging system |
| Lighting System | Full-spectrum LED with tunable UV & Far-Red recipes |
| Capacity | 10-tray vertical module; up to 10,000 corms/cycle |
| Telemetry | Cloud IoT dashboard with remote environmental recipes |
Standardized Transfer Pathway
How Consortium Technology Transfer Works
A transparent 4-stage mechanism enabling equipment manufacturers, food enterprises, and agri-startups to license, mass-produce, and commercialize validated research.
01
Expression of Interest (EoI)
Submit your company profile and manufacturing capability online, selecting the technology of interest and preferred licensing model.
02
Due Diligence & NDA
Sign a mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), attend live technical demonstrations, and review engineering drawings, schematics, and Bill-of-Materials (BoM).
03
Licensing Agreement
Formalize the Technology Transfer Agreement (Non-exclusive or Exclusive regional license) structured in adherence with MeitY and C-DAC guidelines.
04
Pilot Handholding & Support
Receive complete firmware, CAD fabrication drawings, calibration software, hands-on engineering training, and pilot manufacturing handholding.
Direct Technology Licensing
Submit Expression of Interest (EoI)
Our Technology Transfer & Incubation Office (C-DAC & SKUAST-K SKIIE) will review your request and connect you directly with the lead scientist and licensing manager.
🎉
Expression of Interest Received!
Thank you for partnering with the Agri-Excellence initiative. Your inquiry has been forwarded to the Technology Transfer Office (C-DAC Kolkata & SKUAST-Kashmir).
Reference ID: EOI-AGRI-2026-XXXX
A formal acknowledgment and non-disclosure package will be emailed to your registered address within 2 business days.