A New Era: AI Meets Grassroots Dairy Farming

In a landmark move for India’s agricultural technology landscape, Amul has launched an artificial intelligence system designed to support dairy farmers at scale. The initiative—officially introduced in Anand, Gujarat—features Sarlaben, a digital AI assistant created to serve the cooperative’s extensive network of producers.

This development aligns with broader national priorities to leverage AI for inclusive economic growth and reflects ongoing efforts to digitize traditional livelihoods through intelligent automation and data-driven decision support tools.

Built on Decades of Data: The Technology Backbone

Unlike many agricultural chatbots trained on limited datasets, the Amul AI platform is grounded in one of the largest real-world dairy databases:

1. Over 200 crore annual milk procurement transactions
2. Veterinary treatment records managed by over 1,200 doctors
3. Nearly 3 crore cattle profiles with disease and productivity histories
4. Around 70 lakh artificial insemination records
5. ISRO satellite imagery data for fodder production insights
6. A comprehensive cattle census updated every five years

This rich repository enables the AI system to deliver personalized, cattle-specific insights to farmers — a capability that sets it apart in the agri-AI domain.

Sarlaben: Functionality Designed for Farmers

Sarlaben serves as an AI-driven advisory assistant accessible via:

1. Amul Farmer mobile application (smartphones and feature phones)
2. Voice calls for users with basic phones or landlines
3. Interaction primarily in Gujarati, with potential expansion to more Indian languages

Key features include:

1. Animal health monitoring and guidance
2. Vaccination scheduling support
3. Feeding and nutrition recommendations
4. Breeding and artificial insemination insights
5. Updates on government schemes and dairy sector subsidies

By integrating directly with Amul’s Automatic Milk Collection System (AMCS) and the Pashudhan livestock management app, the platform ensures trusted and seamless farm-level AI support.

Scale and Accessibility: Reaching Millions

The launch targets more than 36 lakh dairy producers across over 18,500 villages of Gujarat, the vast majority of whom are women. These farmers collectively contribute over 350 lakh (35 million) litres of milk daily — underscoring their central role in India’s dairy economy.

By delivering real-time, localized insights directly to producers — even in remote locations — the platform aims to:

1. Narrow the information deficit in rural livestock management
2. Enhance productivity and animal yields
3. Improve decision-making confidence
4. Promote sustainable dairy farming practices

Governance leaders have emphasized that this initiative is not merely technological but a step towards socio-economic empowerment of grassroots communities.

Source:artificialintelligenceGPT.