WEF founder Klaus Schwab calls for AI to digitise farm sector in India

Bengaluru: World Economic Forum-founder prof Klaus Schwab on Friday said India will become a financial superpower if it uses Artificial Intelligence to digitise its vast farm sector.

In his virtual address at the plenary session of the Bengaluru Tech Summit- 2021, prof Schwab said India has the technological capability and prowess to propel the agricultural sector into the digital world.

He said the world is witnessing the fourth industrial revolution and accessibility of Internet services and its speed would play a major role in it.

But, prof Schwab expressed regret that in India at least 50 per cent of citizens do not have access to the Internet. He called upon the government of India, including that of Karnataka, to bridge this digital gap.

He said World Economic Forum has been working with telecom companies to bring technologies and their businesses closer. He said 35 million new jobs are likely to be generated by 2025 as a result of this industrial revolution all over the world and India should not let go of this opportunity.

The professor stressed the need for another green revolution in the world with zero carbon emissions and also the need to ensure that new discoveries are made in this direction swiftly.

In his plenary address, Microsoft India president Anant Maheshwari said in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic hitting the economy, India needs to really act together by training youngsters with skillsets on a warfooting to make them job-ready.

He said the pandemic has necessitated a hybrid work culture in offices and there is a need to work around making it an acceptable norm.