Hyderabad: A mechanical engineering MTech second-year student from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad (JNTU-H) has developed a solar-powered seed planting machine to address his father’s farming challenges in Telangana’s Jagtial district.
Randheer, whose father Gangadhar grows maize in Tulsinagar village, took up the project after repeated delays in sowing due to a shortage of farm labour. The delays were threatening maize yields and had become a persistent problem.
Guided by Channakeshu Reddy, director of research and development at JNTU-H, Randheer designed a machine that can sow seeds at uniform distances using solar energy, cutting dependence on fuel and reducing labour needs.
The prototype is undergoing trials and is aimed at saving time, optimising land use, and improving output. Randheer said the idea came directly from his father’s struggle. “I wanted to build something practical for farmers,” he noted.
If the trials succeed, the machine could serve as an affordable and efficient option for small and medium-scale farmers struggling with labour shortages in crops like maize. Solar power makes it even more viable in rural areas where grid electricity is often unreliable.
The project, rooted in a personal family challenge, now stands poised to bridge academic concepts with on-ground agricultural realities.