A team of young innovators has developed an automated irrigation system, named Irrigo, that aims to transform farm irrigation by optimizing water usage and enabling real-time monitoring through a mobile app.
The system was created by Mohammad Mutaib, MawiaManzoor, SeeratFayaz, and FahadNazir under their startup, Ivulax Innovations Private Limited. They have already installed the first system in a hybrid orchard in Anantnag and plan to expand availability to more farmers in the coming months.
“This is a smart, automated irrigation and water management system that irrigates high-density orchards based on the specific needs of plants such as soil moisture, sap flow, and leaf condition,” explained Mohammad Mutaib.
He added that the system is weather-responsive as well. “If rain is forecast, the system automatically pauses irrigation. Any changes in weather or system activity are immediately communicated to the farmer through a mobile app,” Mutaib said.
The system supports manual, automatic, and schedule-based controls and is connected via GSM for 24/7 monitoring. It operates on solar power with battery backup, allowing farmers to monitor and control irrigation remotely through their smartphones.
Currently accepting bookings, the team plans to begin deployments within two to three months. “The response from farmers has been very encouraging. Precise irrigation helps reduce input costs and improves both yield and quality, especially in apples. Research shows that proper irrigation can increase production by 30 to 40 percent,” said Mutaib.
The innovators have been developing this project over the past seven years, receiving support from the SKUAST-K Innovation Centre for patent filing and company registration.
SeeratFayaz, who joined the team last year with a background in finance, highlighted her personal experience as an orchardist. “Irrigation has always been a challenge. We had to manually fetch and distribute water, often resulting in wastage and uneven watering,” she shared.
She noted that recent hotter summers have made automation essential. “Our complete product suite includes weed detection, leaf density analysis, and IR scanning, but irrigation was the most urgent need, so we prioritized launching it first.”
Fayaz also mentioned that the system is suitable for greenhouses and cold weather conditions. “Farmers no longer need to physically start pumps or monitor fields. Everything can be controlled via phone. With sensors installed, irrigation can be managed remotely.”
She pointed out that no similar product currently exists in the Indian market. “Agriculture is a key part of the economy, and this product can be adapted to different environments and farming setups, giving it strong potential in the market.”
BhatNaveed, CEO and Head of SKUAST-K Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship Centre (SKIIE), told Rising Kashmir that the centre is supporting the innovators by facilitating farm-level trials to validate the product and build trust among farmers.
He added that the team started their venture through bootstrapping and determination, with the centre assisting them in intellectual property protection (patent), company registration, and legal compliance.
