Google expands AI push in India with $15 million MSME funding, crop research and teacher training

Google has announced a series of AI initiatives in India covering agriculture, education and small businesses. The announcements include a $15 million funding commitment for MSMEs, a new crop research partnership and expanded access to AI tools for farmers and teachers.

Google is expanding its AI initiatives in India, with a focus on applying the technology to agriculture, education and economic inclusion. The company has announced new partnerships and funding commitments aimed at bringing AI-powered solutions to farmers, educators and small businesses.

The announcements also highlight Google’s efforts to move beyond consumer-facing AI products and deploy its technology in sectors where access to information, resources and infrastructure remains a challenge.

Using AI to develop climate-resilient crops

Google DeepMind and Google.org are partnering with Hyderabad-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and the University of Washington to develop an AI-supported genetic atlas for sorghum, commonly known as jowar.

The project will draw on ICRISAT’s collection of over 44,000 seed varieties from more than 90 countries. Using genetic analysis and machine learning, researchers aim to identify combinations that could help develop more productive and climate-resilient crops.

The resulting genetic catalogue will be open-access, allowing researchers globally to use the findings. Google DeepMind will also support a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at ICRISAT, its first outside the UK, to explore similar applications for crops such as chickpea, groundnut and pigeon pea.

AI-powered agricultural tools reach farmers

Google is also expanding access to its Agricultural Understanding models through a public preview for developers and researchers.

The technology is already being used in Gujarat’s Krushi Pragati platform, where Amnex has integrated Google’s agricultural APIs.

According to Google, the platform supported over 900 million SMS-based advisories for more than 600,000 farmers in the past year, covering crop health, pest management, soil conditions and weather patterns.

The company says its agricultural models, initially developed for India, now provide insights across 11 countries.

Over 80,000 teachers trained in AI

In education, Google says it has trained more than 80,000 teachers in India since May through its AI Educator Series.

The programme helps teachers use tools such as Gemini and NotebookLM for lesson planning, creating learning materials and reducing preparation time.

Google is now expanding the initiative to Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Sikkim, along with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

It is also introducing free, self-paced online training aligned with the National Education Policy 2020. The programme is currently available in English, with six additional Indian languages expected later this month.

Separately, Google is supporting 100 Atal Tinkering Labs through ATL Saathi, a Gemini-powered application designed for STEM education.

$15 million funding for Indian MSMEs

One of the biggest announcements is Google.org’s $15 million commitment to The/Nudge, aimed at supporting India’s micro, small and medium enterprises.

India has more than 90 million MSMEs employing over 345 million people, according to figures cited by Google.

The funding will support AI-based solutions designed to improve access to formal credit, market opportunities and regulatory compliance.

The initiative will also include an open call for proposals and a multilingual, voice-led platform to help people in Tier 3 and Tier 4 towns develop job-ready skills and connect with small businesses.

The larger picture

Google’s latest announcements reflect a broader effort to apply AI to challenges beyond smartphones, search and chatbots.

While the company has highlighted early adoption figures in agriculture and education, the longer-term impact of these initiatives will depend on how effectively they improve crop productivity, reduce teachers’ workloads and help small businesses access financing and markets.

For India, the focus is increasingly shifting from simply adopting AI to determining whether the technology can deliver measurable benefits at scale.