SUN BIO IT had a strong modular IoT platform — configurable sensors, multiple connectivity options, solar or battery power. Capable of a lot. But it was being pitched as a custom deployment solution for individual farms.

While qualifying leads, I kept hearing a different need. Research institutes — ICAR stations, KVK centres, university agri departments — weren't asking for custom farm deployments. They were asking for something portable. Something that gave them an immediate soil reading in the field without collecting a sample, shipping it to a lab, and waiting several days for results.

The existing process:

• Collect soil sample
• Send to testing facility
• Wait 3–7 days
• Receive NPK, pH, salinity values

For field researchers running ongoing studies, that turnaround made responsive decision-making impossible.

The 7-in-1 Soil Survey Meter measures the parameters that drive agricultural research decisions:

• Temperature
• Humidity
• Nitrogen (N)
• Potassium (K)
• Phosphorous (P)
• pH
• Electrical Conductivity (EC)

Form factor: a compact field-ready device with a dual-strip LED display and a probe. Insert into soil. Read values. Done — no sample collection, no laboratory, no waiting.

My contributions to the product:

• Identified and procured OEM sensors at 92–98% accuracy — compatible with SUN BIO IT's existing IoT manufacturing infrastructure
• Sourced the device casing — portable, durable, suited to field environments
• Conceptualised a companion dashboard for multi-device deployments at research stations

Researchers who use it regularly describe it as plug and play — which is exactly the bar good product design should clear. The device has been incorporated into everyday research workflows at ICAR stations and KVK centres across India, with recurring purchase orders from multiple institutes.