Aadu Thoma, Sethurama Iyer, Nagavalli, Clara, and Rangan are all part of Malayalam cinema's folklore. They could soon be part of Kerala's technology folklore, too.

They are the names of the first-ever AI-powered virtual consultants (VCs) to be appointed by a PSU in Kerala—Kerala Agro Machinery Corporation Limited (KAMCO). KAMCO, one of the country's leading manufacturers of small farm machines and once controlling 60% of India's tiller and reaper sales, has seen its sales plummet to 20%. In the past three years, the PSU has been suffering a loss of over Rs 20 crore annually.

Therefore, in an attempt to recapture the national market for small farm machinery, KAMCO has decided to adopt Artificial Intelligence in a big way. The plan is to appoint a virtual consultant (VC) for each of its 11 departments -- KAMCO has three non-technical wings (human resources, finance and systems) and eight technical departments (production, materials, purchase, quality assurance, stores, marketing, maintenance, and research and development).

KAMCO's new managing director, Prasanth Nair, has christened these VCs after loved film characters. "This has been done to make our employees feel closer to the new technology. They should not feel intimidated by technology," Prasanth Nair, who took over as KAMCO MD a month ago, said.

Cinema-powered AI
Since the job requires the right mix of ruthlessness and compassion, the HR department VC is Rangan ('Aavesham'). The finance department VC, in keeping with the operational rigour and discipline required for the post, is Chacko Master ('Sphadikam'). Akosotto ('Yodha') is systems VC. To embody an unlimited passion for work, the production VC is Nagavalli ('Manichithrathaazhu').  

Because inventory management calls for a certain degree of street smartness, the materials VC will be 'Keeleri Achu' ('Kankettu'). Seductive charm is the key to shrewd buying, and Clara ('Thoovanathumpikal') will be the name of the purchase VC. Quality assurance calls for a firmness of character and so the VC will be Nettooran ('Lal Salam'). 

The stores department, because it guards the company goods, should project an image of toughness and so Karakoottil Dasan ('Golanthara Varthakal') is the VC. The marketing wing should combine both charm and stubbornness and Ambaan ('Aavesham') is the VC’s name. It is a raw and adaptable skill strength that would keep the maintenance wing going. Who better than Aaadu Thoma ('Sphadikam') to work the reins. And is there anyone better than Sethurama Iyer (the CBI series) to steer the R&D Department.

What are VCs capable of
OpenAI had launched ChatGPT Enterprise on August 28, 2023, within a year the company released ChatGPT on November 30, 2022. ChatGPT Enterprise offers enterprise-grade security and privacy, unlimited higher-speed GPT-4 access, longer context windows for processing longer inputs, advanced data analysis capabilities, and customization options. 

The AI tool can take up some of the critical tasks and spare KAMCO employees for higher value operations. One, the ChatGPT-powered VC can handle customer queries with consistency and accuracy. It can provide product details and even give recommendations based on the inputs KAMCO provides the AI tool. Two, the VC can provide real-time inventory information and assist in quality control processes. Three, it can offer cutting edge advice and insights. Four, ChatGPT Enterprise is designed to perform complex analyses. The net effect would be not just increased productivity but also reduced operational costs.

Training, testing, deployment
The KAMCO MD said the department heads would form a team of experienced employees to train the VCs by feeding it relevant operational data, standard procedures and case studies. This would take up two months. 

After the training is the 'testing phase'. "During this phase, the accuracy, reliability, relevance and professionalism of the VCs will be assessed," said Prasanth. After this phase, which will require a month, the VCs will be deployed for regular use. "Monthly performance reviews will be conducted for the first six months of deployment," the MD said.

Poised for a takeoff
At present, KAMCO has five units located at Athani and Kalamassery in Ernakulam district, at Kanjikode in Palakkad district, at Mala in Thrissur and at Valiyavelicham in Kannur. With the present work force of nearly 600, KAMCO can produce 8400 power tillers and 1200 power reapers annually.

Prasanth has ambitious plans. “We plan to diversify and enter into hi-tech farming equipment business through tie-ups with strategic business alliances with startups and technology leaders in the international market,” he said. In finding the right ventures and striking the perfect partnerships, the MD is banking on Clara, Nagavally, Sethurama Iyer and others.