Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced the setting up of India’s first “Smart and Intelligent Village” in Nagpur district. Satnavari, located 31 km from Nagpur city, is equipped with technologies ranging from smart farming and telemedicine to AI-powered water monitoring and digital classrooms. The “smart and intelligent village” project was proposed by the Voice of Indian Communication Technology Enterprises (VoICE), a consortium of major Indian players in the telecom sector, whose representatives met the Chief Minister on June 19 this year. The pilot project was completed by Independence Day, and formally launched on Sunday (August 24). What is meant by a ‘Smart Intelligent Village’? A Smart Intelligent Village is envisaged as representing a model of rural development that uses digital technologies, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and seamless connectivity to improve everyday living in India’s villages. According to Rakesh Kumar Bhatnagar, director general of VoICE, a Smart Intelligent Village is one where technology brings ease to rural life, with villagers using digital and AI solutions for farming, cultivation, and other daily activities. “The vision is to create a model of rural transformation, developing 10 Smart and Intelligent Villages in every taluka and gradually extending it across the State,” Chief Minister Fadnavis said in a post on X. Why was Satnavari selected for this pilot? Satnavari, Fadnavis said on Sunday, “fulfilled the criteria identified for introducing smart interventions. The village has a pond, agricultural land, schools, anganwadi, and other community spaces where these initiatives can be effectively implemented”. “Satnavari was chosen for this pilot project because it can host multiple smart interventions. Farmers here are now adopting smart farming with sensors that monitor water quality and drones that bring precision in dispensing fertilizers. Safety in the village is being strengthened through smart surveillance. Schools now have AI-enabled classrooms, Anganwadis are digitised and health facilities are seamlessly connected to major hospitals,” the CM said on X. Nagpur Zilla Parishad is overseeing its implementation, with the participation of Gram Panchayats and villagers. It helped provide the requisite infrastructure, manpower, and basic facilities for installation, including the GP office, school, anganwadi, water well, and village lake. The efforts were closely coordinated by Kapil Kalode, Deputy CEO (Village Panchayat), Sachin Suryavanshi, BDO, and Rohini, the Gramsevika, along with the local community. What are some of the smart interventions at Satnavari? AGRICULTURE: Smart agriculture uses IoT sensors to monitor soil and crop conditions in real time, helping farmers save 25%-40% water, cut the costs of fertilisers by 30%, detect pests early, and increase yields by up to 25%. The use of automated irrigation and AI tools reduce waste and guide crop planning. A mobile phone application helps in climate-smart agriculture, using natural farming practices and use of digital, verifiable data. FISHERIES: Sensors track the water quality in ponds, measuring oxygen, pH, temperature, etc., and alerts are sent to farmers in real time. These interventions reduce fish mortality, cut operational costs, and boost yields by 20%-30%. USE OF DRONES IN FARMING: Drones equipped with GPS and sensors spray fertilisers based on soil mapping, ensuring precise application and reducing the use of chemicals by 20%-30%, and lowering the environmental impact. This also saves labour time up to 80%, and creates new income opportunities by training local youth to fly the drones, Bhatnagar said. Drones equipped with cameras and sprayers also detect pests using imaging and AI, and then apply pesticides precisely. This reduces overuse of pesticides by up to 50%, lowers health risks for farmers, and improves overall crop health. SAFETY & CONVENIENCE: Smart streetlights in the village use IoT-enabled LEDs that adjust brightness based on motion, time, or ambient light, which can be controlled remotely through a mobile app. They cut energy use by 50%-70%, improve safety in public spaces, and bring down maintenance costs. IoT-linked CCTV cameras and drones monitor farms, assets, and public spaces in real time, and AI is used to detect intrusions or crop damage. DRINKING WATER: An AI-powered system monitors drinking water supply and quality in real time, ensuring the supply of the mandated volume of 55 litres of water per capita per day. HEALTHCARE: Comprehensive rural healthcare in the village offers on-the-spot testing for more than 120 health parameters, from blood and cardiac checks to cancer and TB screening, with results available within minutes in certain cases. With the use of teleconsultations, telemedicine, and digital records, this enables early detection of disease, reduces treatment costs, and brings urban-grade care to remote communities. ASHA workers are supported with instant results and guided follow-ups. EDUCATION: Online education in the village uses e-learning platforms over a dedicated Wi-Fi network, with smart classrooms and the use of apps like Zoom for interactive sessions. Wi-Fi hotspots at the Gram Panchayat offer BharatNet connectivity with speeds up to 100 Mbps for free. SECURITY: The village has a public protection and emergency system in which security staff can use handheld devices with push-to-talk communication. A central control centre tracks their location in real time for quick coordination. Villagers can request help through a mobile app or a physical help phone at the Panchayat office. Alerts and announcements can be broadcast on loudspeakers, and the system is integrated with communication channels of the police, NDRF, and SDRF to ensure faster emergency responses. WASTE MANAGEMENT: A smart waste management system uses IoT-enabled bins and tracking tools to ensure the safe collection and disposal of garbage, and prevent harmful chemicals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium from polluting soil and water. The waste management system uses data analytics to plan better long-term waste strategies. FIRE CONTROL: Automatic fire extinguishers have been installed in schools and public areas. These are shaped like balls and are filled with UL-approved monoammonium phosphate. (UL is a more-than-a-century-old certification company, and monoammonium phosphate is a popular fire retardant.) The extinguishers are activated within 10-15 seconds of contact with flames. In fields or remote areas, drones can carry and drop these extinguishers directly onto the fire. A Central Network Management Control System (C-NOC) monitors all devices in the Smart Intelligent Village, tracks their uptime and availability, and instantly flags problems to the right vendors for quick fixes. This ensures smooth functioning of services and maximises their uptime. What is the cost of these smart interventions? According to Bhatnagar, it will cost around Rs 50 lakh on average to build a “smart, intelligent village”. The Satnavari pilot project was executed by the 24 companies in the VoICE consortium, but as more villages are taken up a tendering process will be followed, he said. At Satnavari, the participating companies, most of which are startups or small enterprises, invested resources with the expectation of benefiting in future tenders. How soon can the project progress, and what challenges can it face? CM Fadnavis said 10 villages in every taluka will be made “Smart and Intelligent”, leading to more than 3,500 villages in Maharashtra benefiting from the initiative. Bhatnagar claimed that once approvals are received, it will take fewer than 10 days to replicate the model at another place. The challenges include providing strong and seamless Internet connectivity. In Maharashtra, only about 3,750 Gram Panchayats (GPs) are currently online, some of which rely on public networks. The lack of maintenance of optical fibre cables have sometimes led to very poor bandwidth availability. Also, the pilot has been implemented at no cost to the government, and there are some unanswered questions about long-term funding, community ownership, and upkeep.
