In India, the market for electric passenger vehicles (EVs) itself is in its infancy. But moves are also underway in other areas where EVs can be deployed. Agriculture and livestock, for example.
Monarch Tractor, maker of the first all-electric, driver-optional smart tractor that has been interested in the Indian market, is now expanding its presence here.
The American company, which opened its first office in Hyderabad, also entered into a major technology deal with Einsite, a machine vision and artificial intelligence analytics startup.
Autonomous tractors on anvil
Monarch Tractor’s Einsite is working on the development of cutting edge applications and autonomy models and algorithms. Yes, you read, they are working on autonomous tractor models, which actually makes sense. For farmland, which is linked and controlled, is a better bet for autonomous vehicles than the randomness of Indian roads.
“We are proud to partner with the Monarch team and share our joint experience to maximize autonomous solutions that enable farmers to achieve new levels of productivity,” said Anirudh Reddy, founder of Einsite.
The company uses machine-mounted cameras and sensors to capture site activity and in-cab edge computers. The company has deployed its technology in various construction and mining projects.
“We have found strong synergy with Einsite in our missions and areas of work,” said Praveen Penmetsa, co-founder and CEO of Monarch Tractor. “Einsite’s mission to make dynamic, outdoor industries more productive aligns with our goal of modernizing the farm.”
Monarch Tractor offers a convergence of electrification, automation and data analytics that can help sustainable agriculture. The company is actively working with various agencies in advocating the advancement of autonomous agricultural equipment. But government permission in the US has been difficult to obtain.
In India, Monarch Tractor is already in technical partnership with VST Tillers Tractors. The two companies have been working collaboratively for over a year on the technical development of tractor hardware for the first series of Monarch tractors. Monarch Tractor launched the first driver-optional, all-electric smart tractor in December 2020.
