Project Associate-II in Drone and Hyperspectral Remote Sensing with AI for Smart Agriculture, CSIR-IHBT Palampur
Job Description
CSIR-IHBT, Palampur, invites emailed applications until 30 September 2026 for a Project Associate-II in drone and hyperspectral remote sensing with AI on its project on region-specific smart agrotechnologies for soil and plant health, Phase II (Advertisement No. 15/2026, position code 15005).
At a glance
- Position: Project Associate-II (one post)
- Where: CSIR-IHBT, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh
- Pay: Rs 35,000 plus HRA with NET/GATE or an equivalent national exam, otherwise Rs 28,000 plus HRA
- Duration: project tenure up to 31 March 2029
- Apply by: 30 September 2026, by email
The project (MMP025303) is titled “Region specific smart agrotechnologies for enhancing soil and plant health (essa) – Phase II”. Drones fitted with multispectral or hyperspectral cameras can map crop stress and soil conditions field by field, and AI models turn those images into decisions about water, nutrients and crop protection.
Why this role matters
Precision agriculture is still new in hill regions such as the Himalaya, where fields are small and terrain is steep. The post runs to 2029, long enough to build real expertise in agricultural remote sensing and AI.
About the Project Associate remote sensing AI post at CSIR-IHBT
- Drone-based and hyperspectral remote sensing for the smart agrotechnologies project
- AI and machine-learning analysis of the resulting data, the experience the advertisement prefers
The advertisement does not list duties; the points above follow from the project title and its desirable experience.
Eligibility
- B.E./B.Tech. in computer science, information technology or electronics (embedded programming) from a recognised university
- Or a master’s degree in remote sensing, GIS, geoinformatics, geography, forestry, ecology, computer science, AI and data science or an equivalent discipline
- In either case, two years’ research experience in R&D in industrial or academic institutions or science and technology organisations
- Desirable: two years’ work experience in drone-based remote sensing, hyperspectral remote sensing or artificial intelligence
- Age: at most 35 as on 30 September 2026 (five years’ relaxation for SC/ST/PwBD and women, three years for OBC)
Engagement is temporary, on behalf of the sponsoring agency, and lasts for the project or six years, whichever is earlier; performance is reviewed every six months. Incomplete or late applications, applications sent any other way, and forms that list several posts are rejected. Information in the form is checked against originals on selection.
Pay and duration
- Rs 35,000 per month plus HRA for candidates who have qualified CSIR-UGC/ICAR/ICMR NET (including lectureship or assistant professorship), GATE, or a national-level exam by central government departments such as DBT or DST
- Rs 28,000 per month plus HRA for others
- Temporary and co-terminus with the project, whose tenure runs to 31 March 2029
How to apply
Fill in the application form annexed to the advertisement and email it as one PDF file to amit.kumar07@csir.res.in, the address given for this position, by 30 September 2026. A screening committee reviews the applications, and recommended candidates are interviewed by video conference (MS Teams); the date is sent separately.
Key dates
- Advertisement No. 15/2026 posted on the CSIR-IHBT website on 15 September 2026
- Last date: 30 September 2026
- Interview: online, date announced separately
Please read the official CSIR-IHBT Advertisement No. 15/2026 before applying, and browse more Research Fellow jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT)
Official advertisement: www.ihbt.res.in
How to prepare for this application
- Sensors: know the difference between RGB, multispectral and hyperspectral cameras, and how drone images are calibrated and stitched into orthomosaics.
- Indices and models: be ready to discuss NDVI and red-edge indices, and ML models such as random forests or CNNs for crop stress or soil mapping.
- Tools: show experience with Pix4D or Agisoft for photogrammetry, QGIS, and Python libraries such as rasterio, scikit-learn or PyTorch.
- Field sense: think about flight planning, ground truth sampling and the challenges of small, sloping hill fields.
- Two years' experience: the post requires it, so attach certificates that show dates and the remote sensing or AI work you did.
About CSIR-IHBT
The CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT) in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, is a laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). It works on the bioresources of the Himalayan region: plant and microbial biotechnology, natural products and chemistry, agrotechnology for crops such as tea, flowers and aromatic plants, and food and nutraceutical products. Like other CSIR laboratories it also trains PhD students through the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR).
