Aruna Tiruvananthan

Indian agritech innovator who created AI-driven solutions for smallholder farmers

Aruna Tiruvananthan (b. 1992) is the architect of CropWise AI, an artificial intelligence platform that has transformed agricultural practices for 1.2 million Indian farmers since its 2020 launch. Her system uses satellite imagery and mobile sensors to provide hyper-localized crop advisories, predicting pest outbreaks with 92% accuracy and reducing pesticide use by 60% in trial regions. The "Farmer ChatBot" (Forbes Tech Report) delivers real-time advice in 12 Indian languages via basic feature phones.

Tiruvananthan's Nature Communications study demonstrated how her platform increased crop yields by 35% in drought-prone regions. Her Solar Agro-Water Stations project, launched in 2023, combines AI irrigation scheduling with solar-powered pumps, saving 40% of water usage in Maharashtra's cotton belts. Over 150,000 women farmers have adopted her "Agripreneur Toolkit", which includes blockchain-enabled supply chain tracking for organic certification.

Her 2024 initiative Farmer Data Collective aggregates anonymized agronomic data to create climate-resilient crop varieties. A 2025 UN report cited her work as a model for digital agriculture in developing economies. Tiruvananthan's "Farmers' Innovation Hackathons" have produced 300+ low-cost agricultural tools, including a solar-powered seed dryer and biodegradable pest repellent sprays. Her TEDx talk "Harvesting Intelligence" has become a blueprint for tech-for-agriculture programs worldwide.