Lahore – A Pakistani student has made the nation proud on the global stage. Mahroosh Umer, an AS-level STEM student, has won the AI 4 Good Incubator 2025, a high-profile techthon that attracted participants from hundreds of countries. The competition challenged teams to answer one critical question: “How might we use AI to accelerate the journey to net zero?”
AgriGuard.AI – AI-Powered Farming for Net Zero Goals
Mahroosh’s team developed AgriGuard.AI, a platform designed to help smallholder farmers adopt climate-smart agriculture, improve soil health, and increase yields — all while generating extra income through carbon credits. The system uses satellite imagery and soil data to deliver localized, actionable insights, making sustainable farming more practical and profitable.
“Our goal was to make sustainability accessible for farmers everywhere, especially those with limited resources,” Mahroosh told reporters after the win.
From Idea to Interactive Prototype
One of Mahroosh’s major contributions was creating an interactive prototype in Glide, enabling farmers to see exactly how the AI system could be integrated into their daily operations. The interface demonstrated how real-time AI insights could guide planting, irrigation, and soil management decisions in a user-friendly way.
This practical demonstration played a decisive role in convincing judges of the platform’s real-world viability, helping the team secure top honors.
A Global Win with Local Impact
While the AI 4 Good Incubator is a global competition, Mahroosh’s work is especially relevant to Pakistan — a country facing mounting climate and agricultural challenges. Smallholder farmers, who make up the backbone of Pakistan’s agriculture sector, often lack access to advanced tools. AgriGuard.AI bridges that gap by offering AI-driven, location-specific advice directly to farmers’ devices.
According to competition organizers, this year’s challenge focused on solutions that could be implemented quickly and scaled globally to meet net zero emission targets. AgriGuard.AI stood out for its scalability, cost-effectiveness, and potential social impact.
Pakistan’s Growing Role in AI Innovation
Mahroosh’s achievement reflects Pakistan’s growing presence in the global AI and sustainability space. It follows a series of recent international recognitions for Pakistani innovators, including advances in agri-tech, health tech, and renewable energy solutions.
Industry experts say solutions like AgriGuard.AI could be game-changers in the fight against climate change, particularly in developing countries where agriculture is both a major source of livelihood and a key contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
