Ranveer Chandra, Microsoft's Chief Technology Officer for Agri-Food, told South Asian Herald that India's clearest path to AI leadership runs through practical farm-level tools rather than competing head-on in foundational model development.
Speaking at an exclusive interview held on 17 September at the Consulate General of India in Seattle, Chandra said AI-powered tools could reduce the uncertainty farmers face when deciding when to plant, harvest, or apply agricultural chemicals , decisions that currently carry significant financial risk.
Chandra, who has worked in the agricultural AI field for more than a decade, acknowledged that the US and China remain ahead in building the underlying AI infrastructure. India's strongest opportunity, he said, may lie in adapting those existing models to fit the country's specific agricultural conditions and needs.
On India's wider development goals, Chandra said AI could be a direct enabler of the country's ambition to become a developed nation by 2047. If India makes the right decisions now and deploys the technology across society, he said, AI could meaningfully lift productivity and accelerate economic growth.
Chandra also referenced remarks by Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella, noting that broad access to AI could help countries move from developing to developed economy status. He recalled attending the India AI Impact Summit in February, describing the cross-country participation of decision-makers from both developed and developing nations as helping create a more inclusive global conversation around AI.
