June 17, 2026

Syngenta joins India's Annam.AI as strategic partner for crop intelligence platform

The agreement positions Syngenta to contribute agronomic expertise in crop health, pest forecasting and heat stress modelling to a nationwide open-data agricultural initiative.

Syngenta joins India's Annam.AI as strategic partner for crop intelligence platform

The agreement positions Syngenta to contribute agronomic expertise in crop health, pest forecasting and heat stress modelling to a nationwide open-data agricultural initiative.

Syngenta has signed a memorandum of understanding to become a strategic partner in Annam.AI, a Government of India-backed programme to build a nationwide open-data agricultural intelligence platform, with the agreement signed at an event in Nice, France on 15 June.

Annam.AI, the Alliance for Next-gen Nourishment through Agriculture Modernization, is designed to deliver hyperlocal, AI-powered advisories to farmers by integrating crop intelligence, real-time microclimate data and multilingual engagement tools. The programme is backed by India's Ministry of Education and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, with Google as a technology partner, and is led by IIT Ropar, part of the Indian Institutes of Technology system.

Syngenta will apply its research and agronomic expertise to building crop health, pest forecasting and heat stress models under the partnership. The company said the initiative aims to reach more than 600 million people across India's agricultural sector.

India's farming sector is dominated by smallholders, with more than 80% of an estimated 150 million farming households operating on less than two hectares of land. Pests and diseases destroy an estimated 30% of crops annually, with erratic monsoons, drought and unseasonal rainfall adding further pressure on yields. India remains one of the world's largest producers of rice and wheat.

Jeff Rowe, Chief Executive Officer of Syngenta Group, said the partnership offers an opportunity to contribute to a digital foundation for Indian agriculture, working alongside government and university partners as well as other innovation leaders involved in the programme.

- Business Wire