By Office of Communications and Public Affairs
14 August 2026: The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and Root & Renew (Singapore) have entered into a Project Agreement (PA) to jointly advance the research and development of “SeedShift 2.0: A Precision Seeding and Micro-Soil Conditioning System for Climate-Resilient Smallholder Farms.” The agreement was signed on 13 August 2026 at AIT by Professor Pai-Chi Li, President of AIT, and Ms. Ritika Yamdagni, Founder of Root & Renew (Singapore).
The 12-month project was initiated through the Faculty of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FFANR), AIT, under the leadership of Dr. Sushil Kumar Himanshu, Associate Professor and Principal Investigator (PI). Under this project, AIT and Root & Renew will work together to review the existing SeedShift 1.0 prototype, develop revised design concepts and technical specifications, prepare engineering drawings and documentation, fabricate a research-level prototype, and assess its technical performance and feasibility.
SeedShift 1.0 was originally developed and field-tested by Root & Renew as a low-cost precision seeding system designed to address practical challenges faced by smallholder farmers. Building on this foundation, SeedShift 2.0 will focus on engineering refinement and the integration of improved mechanisms for precision seed placement, nutrient application, and operational control. Importantly, the project will also explore the integration of electric-vehicle (EV)-based and sensor-enabled capabilities, creating a pathway toward more advanced and intelligent precision-agriculture technologies.
AIT will contribute its academic, engineering, and research expertise to the development of SeedShift 2.0, building on the original prototype developed by Root & Renew. Through this partnership, Root and Renew will contribute to the existing technology, field experience, technical requirements, financial support and ongoing input throughout the joint development process
The project will follow a structured research and engineering development process encompassing concept development, design modification, engineering design, prototype fabrication, internal technical verification, iterative refinement, and documentation.
The major outputs will include a modified conceptual design of SeedShift 2.0; engineering drawings and technical specifications; a research-level final prototype; milestone-based technical updates; and a technology-transfer package, including standard operating procedures, quality-assurance protocols, maintenance guidelines, and an intellectual-property strategy.
Also attending the signing ceremony in support of Root & Renew were Mr. Sam Yamdagni, CEO of Power Systems & Solutions (PSS) Co., Ltd. (Thailand), and Mr. James Russell, School Counselor.
AIT representatives included Prof. Anil Kumar Anal, Dean of the Faculty of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FFANR); Prof. Avishek Datta, Professor, FFANR; Dr. Sushil Kumar Himanshu, Associate Professor and Principal Investigator (PI), FFANR; Dr. Gopi Krishna, Research Coordinator, Sponsored and Contracted Projects Office (SCPO); Dr. Hayat Ullah, Senior Research Specialist, FFANR; Dr. Muhammad Yaseen, Assistant Professor, FFANR; Dr. Branesh Madhavan Pillai, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology (FAST); Dr. Subhankar Debnath, Postdoctoral Researcher, FFANR; and Dr. Deepranjan Sarkar, Postdoctoral Researcher, FFANR.
