User Consultation Workshop on SukhaRakshak AI for Drought Management in India

13 August 2025, Hyderabad

A one-day User Consultation Workshop on SukhaRakshak AI (Artificial Intelligence) for Drought Management in India was jointly organized by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture at Hyderabad today.

The objective of the workshop was to introduce SukhaRakshak AI to key stakeholders, gather user and decision-maker feedback, and co-design strategies for its field-level deployment and scaling.

Dr. Vinod Kumar Singh, Director, ICAR-CRIDA, graced the occasion along with senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, agricultural extension professionals, representatives from Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), state government officials, NGOs, researchers, agricultural experts, and ICAR-CRIDA scientists.

SukhaRakshak AI (“Drought Protector”), India’s first anticipatory, AI-powered drought advisory system, has been developed by IWMI in collaboration with ICAR and ICAR-CRIDA. It leverages artificial intelligence, satellite-based earth observation, probabilistic weather forecasts, and localized agricultural contingency plans to deliver personalized, predictive drought advisories in over 20 Indian languages. The system empowers farmers to take timely decisions such as shifting to short-duration crops, adopting water-saving practices, or preparing livestock feed alternatives before drought impacts intensify.

Experts presented an overview of SukhaRakshak AI’s development, comparative advantages, pilot results, and future roadmap, including wider partnerships, integration with national systems, and regional scaling.

As part of the workshop, participants engaged in group discussions on the following themes:

•    Local relevance and advisory design
•    Delivery channels and last-mile connectivity
•    Data, forecast integration, and trust
•    Institutional integration and operationalization
•    Scaling and sustainability

The workshop served as a pivotal platform for dialogue, co-creation, and alignment among stakeholders in drought risk management, agricultural extension, AI innovation, and climate resilience. It provided an opportunity to validate system features, enhance local relevance, and explore avenues for institutional integration and scale-up.

A total of 60 participants representing diverse institutions, KVKs, state governments, NGOs, researchers, and agricultural experts attended the consultation.

(Source: ICAR- Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad)