In India’s rural landscape, where water intensive agriculture and manual irrigation continue to strain both resources and labour, a team of young innovators has developed a practical alternative. JalSaathi is a sensor driven smart irrigation system created to support the everyday realities of smallholder farmers. Designed by Ananya Arora, Brian Walter, and Aaron Rao, the system is built on Arduino ESP32 microcontrollers and brings together automated control, real time data sensing, and remote operability. Its modular and scalable architecture ensures that farmers can manage irrigation more precisely, using water only when necessary, all without the need for expensive infrastructure or technical expertise.
The project was showcased at the second edition of the Agrotech Space Hackathon, where the team, working under the name Old School, was awarded second runner-up for their solution. Recognised for its ability to reduce water waste, lower labour dependency, and operate reliably in both offline and low connectivity environments, JalSaathi stood out as a functional, accessible, and affordable response to persistent challenges in Indian agriculture.
Responding to Critical Agricultural Challenges
JalSaathi was conceptualized in response to three intersecting agricultural problems: inefficient water use, rising climate variability, and high dependency on manual irrigation. Globally, agriculture consumes nearly 70% of available freshwater, with traditional irrigation techniques wasting between 40 to 60% of that. Simultaneously, climate change has led to a 52% increase in drought frequency since 2000, and projections suggest that agricultural water demand will rise by 19% by 2050.
On the ground, manual irrigation remains labor intensive and imprecise. It requires 20 to 30 labor hours per acre each month, often resulting in over or under watering due to human error, an inefficiency that affects 35% of all irrigated farms. JalSaathi directly addresses these problems through automation, allowing irrigation to be based on real time conditions while drastically reducing labor demands.
System Architecture: Sensors, Logic and Automation
At the heart of JalSaathi is the Arduino ESP32, a microcontroller equipped with built-in Wi-Fi that supports real time sensing, automated control, and a local server based web dashboard. The system connects a soil moisture sensor to detect soil dryness, an HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor to monitor the water level in the tank, a 5V relay module to control the power flow to the pump, and a submersible water pump to carry out irrigation.
The JalSaathi device reads soil moisture and tank water level every two seconds. When soil dryness exceeds a certain threshold and the tank has sufficient water, the system automatically activates the pump. If either condition is not met, the pump remains off. This configuration minimizes unnecessary water use and prevents pump damage through a built-in failsafe triggered by low tank levels. The logic ensures that the pump operates only when required, thus reducing waste and extending equipment life.
Remote Monitoring and Local Control with a Bilingual Dashboard
JalSaathi also includes a live dashboard hosted directly from the ESP32 microcontroller. It is accessible from any web browser connected to the same network and refreshes every five seconds to display updated data on soil moisture, pump status, tank level and emergency stop status. Importantly, the dashboard offers bilingual support in English and Hindi and can be extended to additional regional languages, increasing accessibility for farmers who may not be comfortable with English-based interfaces.
Manual overrides are also built into the dashboard. Users can pause irrigation instantly via an Emergency Stop button and resume operation when tank levels are restored, offering control in scenarios where unexpected failures or environmental changes occur.
Hardware and Software Composition
The hardware setup includes the ESP32 controller, a soil moisture sensor, an ultrasonic distance sensor, a 5V relay module and a submersible pump. Power can be supplied through USB or a portable battery pack. The software is built in C++ using Arduino IDE and the ESP32’s web server functionality is enabled via the ESPAsyncWebServer library and WiFi.h. The front end is developed using HTML and CSS to ensure light loading and responsiveness.
This entire system operates within a budget of INR 900, making it viable for low income farming households or community supported agricultural cooperatives. Its architecture supports both offline (via local network) and online (cloud integrated) configurations, allowing deployment in areas with inconsistent connectivity.
Beyond Moisture: Vision for Expansion and Scalability
The modularity of JalSaathi enables its expansion into multi zone farm management. In future versions, the system can monitor and manage multiple sections of a field with additional sensor nodes connected to the same ESP32 unit. The team also envisions training machine learning models on historical soil, crop and weather data to enable predictive irrigation scheduling.
Cloud based analytics will enable data storage and long term monitoring, while planned integration of sensors for temperature, light intensity and humidity could help optimize growing conditions beyond irrigation. The system is also ready for hardware evolution, from its current breadboard prototype to a custom designed PCB for mass production.
A Business Model Rooted in Affordability and Distribution
The team has laid out a comprehensive business model designed to support both direct to consumer and institutional channels. Individual kits, priced at INR 900, are targeted at smallholder farmers, home gardeners and educational institutions. An optional subscription model at INR 49 per month includes cloud dashboards, app control and weather based irrigation features.
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Bulk sales are positioned for NGOs, agri startups, and CSR programs under B2B engagements. For B2G opportunities, the system aligns with initiatives under Digital India and PM-KUSUM, offering scalability for government distributed agricultural tech solutions. Rural youth are envisioned as on ground technicians through partnerships with Self Help Groups (SHGs) and NGOs, enabling both maintenance support and local employment.
An after sales support plan covers firmware updates, sensor replacements, and technical assistance. On site servicing options will be implemented through trained rural partners, enabling community based support networks.
Advantages, Limitations and External Threats
JalSaathi’s advantages are grounded in utility and affordability. It reduces water consumption by 30 to 60%, slashes manual labor requirements by up to 80%, and achieves over 90% precision in moisture based irrigation. Additionally, the system’s low energy needs and compatibility with solar power solutions make it suitable for off grid deployments.
However, like most field deployed electronic systems, it is not immune to limitations. Exposure to high humidity and water ingress can reduce the lifespan of sensors and controllers by 30 to 50%. This makes waterproofing and housing essential for long term deployment. The team is aware of this limitation and considers it a key area for future refinement.
Externally, the project faces systemic risks such as supply chain volatility. The global shortage of semiconductors has led to a 15 to 30% price increase in Arduino components since 2021, with longer lead times. These factors could delay production or increase unit costs if not mitigated through bulk sourcing or alternative components.
“JalSaathi is more than just a project, it’s a practical opportunity to apply technology and solve real world problems. With the right resources and support, solutions like this can truly make a difference where it matters most.
Aaron Rao shared that participating in the Agrotech Space Hackathon was a memorable experience, especially as it was his first hackathon. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity, noting how much he learned from the judges with expertise across various agricultural sectors, and appreciated the constant support from mentors. He described the journey with Team Old School as truly impactful.
Ananya Arora reflected on her experience, describing it as a series of firsts, her first hackathon and initial foray into agritech. She admitted feeling unsure at the start, almost out of place, but gradually found clarity amid the chaos. With the support of mentors, insightful judges and a steady team, she not only learned but experienced personal growth. For the first time in an unfamiliar setting, she felt a sense of confidence, a journey she says she will always hold close.
Unique Selling Proposition and User Centric Design
JalSaathi’s core value lies in its focus on end user practicality. The system is language inclusive, designed with affordability as a priority, and highly adaptable to changing environments. Its local hosting capability removes the dependency on internet access, ensuring usability even in the most remote areas.
JalSaathi is automated, low maintenance, and built with expansion in mind. By empowering smallholder farmers with tools that require minimal learning curves but offer measurable impact, Old School’s JalSaathi seeks to bridge the gap between tech development and field level adoption.
From Prototype to Scalable Solution
What started as a hackathon prototype now shows potential for becoming a field deployable tool with scalable relevance. Through a carefully thought out combination of microcontroller programming, real time sensing, bilingual accessibility and business foresight, JalSaathi positions itself not just as a smart irrigation system, but as a replicable model for context aware agricultural technology.
The team behind JalSaathi has created more than just an academic solution they’ve laid the groundwork for a scalable intervention that can assist in India’s pursuit of water smart, tech enabled agriculture. As climate volatility grows and smallholder livelihoods face new pressures, solutions like these provide a tangible, affordable and local pathway forward.