'Why can't we apply it to cows, cattle?': Nandan Nilekani recounts PM Modi's role in launch of Amul's 'Sarlaben' app in just 3 weeks

Nandan Nilekani, the co-founder and non-executive chairman of Infosys, on Thursday recounted a conversation he had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on applying artificial intelligence to farmers. As per Nilekani, the Prime Minister asked why this could not be applied to cows and cattle, triggering the lightning-fast launch of Amul's 'Sarlaben' app. 

The 'Sarlaben' app is an artificial intelligence-powered digital assistant designed for the farmers of Gujarat. Nilekani categorically mentioned that the AI-powered system has been designed with data sovereignty in mind, adding that the data of Amul remains with Amul and the system ensures that all data stays within India. 

Idea to launch in just 3 weeks

Calling it an example of AI diffusion in India, Nilekani said at the CEOs Forum at the AI Impact Summit 2026, "When I met PM Modi on 8th January, and talked about applying AI to farmers. He said, 'Why can't we apply it to cows and cattle? Because if the cow is sick, it can't tell you that it is sick. How can you solve this problem?' He gave us his vision of applying AI to agriculture and dairy."

He further said that the PM's office had a meeting with MeitY officials, representatives from Amul, and some of his colleagues on January 8.

"Within three weeks, the application went live... This is the world's largest cooperative with 3.6 million farmers, 2 billion milk transactions per year, and 40 million cattle. An idea that the PM had on January 8 has become a reality on February 11. This, to me, is an example of the speed of execution of AI diffusion in India. This, to me, is an example of the speed of AI diffusion in India. I get the same sense of excitement I got on December 30th, 2016, when the PM launched the BHIM payment application on UPI." 

He added that many of these farmers, a large number of whom are women, are using the app. Nandan Nilekani noted that the app has 21 billion transactions per month with 500 million users and is the world's largest payment system. 

About the 'Sarlaben' app

The app has been integrated with Amul's Automatic Milk Collection System (AMCS) and the Pashudhan application. It will offer personalised guidance on cattle health, vaccination schedules, medical treatment, feeding and breeding practices. 

The Sarlaben app will also provide information to dairy farmers on relevant government schemes and subsidies. It was launched by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel last week. 

Amul's AI-powered assistant is expected to cater to around 36 lakh milk producers across over 18,500 villages in Gujarat, most of whom are women. It also incorporates fodder production data through ISRO satellite imagery and a farmer-wise cattle census conducted every year in Gujarat. 

How can farmers access Amul AI

Farmers can access Amul AI via the Amul Farmer mobile app as well as through voice calls for those using feature phones or landlines. Gujarati would be the primary language of interaction.