The company has announced new partnerships in crop research, agricultural technology and teacher training, alongside $15 million in funding for small businesses.
Google has announced a series of artificial intelligence initiatives in India covering crop science, agriculture, education and small businesses, as the company expands partnerships aimed at applying AI to research, public services and economic development.
Announced on October 15, 2026, the initiatives include an AI-powered genetic research project, wider access to agricultural AI models, expanded teacher training programmes and $15 million in funding to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
In agricultural research, Google DeepMind and Google.org are collaborating with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and the University of Washington to develop an open-access genetic atlas of sorghum, commonly known as jowar.
The project will use genetic analysis and machine learning to help researchers identify crop characteristics associated with productivity and climate resilience. ICRISAT's genebank contains more than 44,000 distinct seed samples collected from over 90 countries.
Google DeepMind will also fund a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at ICRISAT to develop genomic research tools for crops including chickpea, groundnut and pigeon pea.
Separately, Google is making its Agricultural Understanding models available to developers through a public-preview application programming interface. Developed by its AnthroKrishi team, the models provide agricultural insights covering 11 countries.
The company said technology firm Amnex has integrated these capabilities into the Gujarat government's Krushi Pragati platform. Over the past year, the platform has supported more than 900 million SMS-based advisories for over 600,000 farmers, covering approximately 14 million hectares.
In education, Google is expanding its AI Educator Series to Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
According to the company, more than 80,000 educators have received training since the programme's introduction in India in May 2026.
A free, self-paced online version is also being introduced, with regional language versions planned in Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Assamese, Odia and Punjabi.
Google is additionally supporting educators across 100 Atal Tinkering Labs through ATL Saathi, a Gemini-powered desktop application designed for science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.
For small businesses, Google.org has committed $15 million to The/Nudge to support AI-based solutions addressing access to formal credit, regulatory compliance and market opportunities.
The initiative will include an open call for proposals and a multilingual, voice-enabled training platform aimed at developing local talent in smaller towns.
Preeti Lobana, Vice President and Country Manager for India at Google, and Lila Ibrahim, Chief AI Readiness Officer at Google DeepMind, outlined the initiatives as part of the company's efforts to expand practical AI applications through local partnerships.
The announcements extend Google's AI activities in India across agricultural research, digital learning and enterprise development, with implementation dependent on collaboration with research institutions, governments and local organisations.
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