Srinagar, Oct 3: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) will host the 60th Annual Diamond Jubilee Convention of the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers (ISAE), alongside an international symposium on Smart Farming and Gen-Z Agriculture, from October 5 to 7, 2026, at its Shalimar campus.
Jointly organised by SKUAST-K and ISAE, New Delhi, the three-day international event will focus on the convention theme, ‘Women-Led Engineering Innovations in Smart Farming’, and the symposium theme, ‘AI & Robotics for Gen-Z Farming’. It will bring together scientists, innovators, policymakers and technocrats from India and abroad to deliberate on emerging technologies and innovations in agricultural engineering.
The selection of SKUAST-K as the venue highlights the university’s growing focus on digital and precision agriculture. Ranked the third-best State Agricultural University in India, SKUAST-K has introduced several technology-driven initiatives, including India’s first dedicated Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Agriculture, the country’s first BTech programme in AI in Agriculture in collaboration with IIT Mandi, a state-of-the-art FabLab, a 20,000-square-foot Design and Manufacturing Centre, and a 95-hectare IoT-based automated fertigation network.
Speaking ahead of the convention, Vice Chancellor SKUAST-K, Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai, underscored the role of emerging technologies in transforming agriculture.
“The integration of frontier technologies, from artificial intelligence and autonomous robotics to high-throughput phenotyping, is no longer a theoretical exercise; it is an urgent imperative for climate-resilient and sustainable food production,” Prof Ganai said.
“Hosting the Diamond Jubilee Convention of ISAE at SKUAST-K is a testament to our university’s transformation into an epicentre of digital and precision farming. Our objective is to bridge global technological breakthroughs with grassroots farming realities, demonstrating how empowered youth and women can lead this change to build a sustainable, technology-driven bio-economy for Jammu and Kashmir and the country,” he added.
Highlighting the technical scope and collaborative objectives of the event, Prof Rohitashw Kumar, Associate Dean, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology (CoAET), SKUAST-K, and Event Convener, said the convention would provide a platform for meaningful exchange between researchers, industry representatives and students.
“By bringing together over six decades of ISAE’s legacy with cutting-edge domains like drone swarms, digital twins, and sensor-based quality evaluation, we are fostering direct dialogue between global researchers, industry leaders, and our students,” he said.
Dr Mudasir Ali, Head, Division of Renewable Energy Engineering, SKUAST-K, and Organising Secretary, said the event would help develop practical approaches to emerging challenges in agriculture.
“We are fully prepared to deliver an intellectually rigorous convention that outlines actionable roadmaps for Gen-Z agriculture,” he said.
The event is being organised under the guidance of a national and international advisory panel comprising experts from India, the United States, Canada and Australia. The programme will include keynote lectures, technical sessions, industry exhibitions, academic presentations and visits showcasing the agro-ecological diversity of the Kashmir Valley.