The Government of India launched an AI-powered smart warehousing system on 18 June 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The project is reported as the world’s largest AI–IoT deployment in public‑sector foodgrain warehousing.
Key objectives
- Modernise PDS storage: Improve monitoring and record-keeping of foodgrain stocks under the Public Distribution System (PDS).
- Prevent diversion: Digital gate controls and tracking to reduce unauthorised movement of grain.
- Improve storage practices: Continuous environmental and hazard monitoring to protect stock quality.
Deployment & coverage
- Initial rollout: 215–216 warehouses operated by the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC).
- FCI scale-up: Food Corporation of India plans similar systems in about 150 warehouses by October 2026.
- Sectoral scope: Public‑sector foodgrain warehousing across CWC and FCI facilities.
Technology components
- AI & IoT: AI analytics over data from IoT sensors for real‑time decision support.
- Environmental sensors: Temperature, humidity and atmosphere monitoring for early hazard detection.
- Gate automation: FASTag (RFID) and ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) for vehicle access control.
- Smart locks & surveillance: Geo‑tagged smart locks, automated CCTV with analytics for security and audit trails.
- Operational automation: AI‑enabled bag counting and face recognition for quality inspection and manpower productivity tracking.
- Dashboard: End‑to‑end digital dashboard for real‑time monitoring and compliance checks.
Institutional & legal links
- Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC): A Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Department of Consumer Affairs managing the initial sites.
- Food Corporation of India (FCI): Statutory body established under the Food Corporations Act, 1964; implementing partner for PDS storage.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- ANPR: Uses optical character recognition to read vehicle number plates for automated access control.
- FASTag: RFID‑based vehicle identification originally used for toll collection; repurposed here for gate automation.
- Data outputs: Useful for audit trails, diversion detection, inventory reconciliation and performance metrics of warehousing staff.