Arha Padman, winner of the FIRA Women in Agrobotics Award 2025
This year was not only the year of a historic fourth edition of the Women in Ag Awards at AgriTechnica, but also the launch of the Women in AgRobotics Award by the renown robotics tradeshow FIRA USA. The award, designed to shine a spotlight on trailblazing women, was presented at FIRA USA 2025 in Woodland, California. The very first winner of this award is Arha Padman, Chief Marketing Officer and part of the Founder’s office at Niqo Robotics. Women in Ag Magazine had a chat with her.
In a sector still largely dominated by men, the Women in AgRobotics Award was created to put trailblazing women — entrepreneurs, engineers, farmers, researchers, and leaders — in the spotlight. More than just recognition, this initiative seeks to amplify their voices, inspire others, and encourage greater diversity in AgTech leadership. The nominees were evaluated by a panel of advocates for women in agriculture and agtech, including our very own Antoon. This jury selected Arha as the winner of the first Women in AgRobotics Award.
Arha Padman grew up in India and completed a Master’s degree in Marketing & Communication in Australia before returning home to continue her professional journey. For fourteen years, she helped build consumer brands across categories such as lifestyle, durables and sleep tech. All experiences that have given her a rich understanding of consumer behaviour and brand storytelling. How did she go from a degree in marketing to a career in agrobotics? “It was truly serendipitous”, Arha says. “About three years ago, I heard our Founder & CEO, Jaisimha Rao, speak about Niqo – then TartanSense – and its mission to create sustainable, tech-driven solutions for growers worldwide. I knew almost instantly that I wanted to be part of this journey. After months of conversations with the team, I joined Niqo. I was stepping well outside my comfort zone, only to discover that the most rewarding experiences truly begin there.” Today, Arha serves as Chief Marketing Officer and is also part of the Founder’s Office, a multifunctional role where she oversees marketing and drives company-wide strategic priorities alongside the CEO.
Niqo Robotics
Based in Bangalore, with active operations across the major growing regions in both India and the U.S., Niqo Robotics builds AI-powered robots that can thin, weed, and spray beneficials in one efficient pass. “Our flagship product Niqo RoboThinner™ is already working in commercial lettuce fields in Yuma and Salinas, proving that advanced robotics can be practical, reliable, and immediately useful to growers”, Arha explains.
“Our vision is simple but ambitious, to revolutionize agriculture through robotic innovation. And our mission is the way we get there — by shipping accessible, reliable robots that make farming more sustainable and more profitable. For us, it’s not about flashy tech, its about building machines farmers can trust, afford, and incorporate into a their daily field operations. Everything is tested in the field, refined with growers, and designed for real-world conditions.”
Niqo was founded by Jaisimha Rao, who grew up on a coffee farm and saw early on how conventional spraying and manual operations limited farm profitability. “That perspective still guides us, solving real farm problems with grounded, field-tested robotics”, Arha continues. “We’re still a young company, but we’re moving fast, backed by strong teams across engineering, AI, hardware, and grower success. Our north star is simple: make cutting-edge robotics an everyday part of farming, not a distant possibility.”
“It’s about making sure the door is open wide enough for capable women to walk through and thrive.”
Women in agrobotics
With about 12% of the company made up by women, Arha realizes there is work to be done still. However, she says, it’s already a big evolution compared to just one year ago. “We were at around 4% then. 12% is still a small number, but the growth has been meaningful. It shows that when you build an environment that is open, respectful, and learning-driven, women do see a place for themselves here.”
And Arha is determined to work on attracting more women to work at Niqo. “From here, the focus is on being intentional. That means building a real talent pipeline—through university partnerships, structured internships, early exposure to agrobotics and ensuring women have access to the same information, mentorship, and growth pathways as anyone else on the team. It’s about making sure the door is open wide enough for capable women to walk through and thrive.”
Agrobotics carries the same imbalance between men and women we see in agriculture and tech. “Often even sharper because it sits at the intersection of both”, Arha tells us. “The work is exciting, but the entry points are not always visible to young women.” For Arha, changing this starts with visibility, access and culture. “I think women need to be seen in engineering, AI, field roles, and leadership so others can imagine themselves there. It also requires access, through internships, field exposure, and hands-on learning that feels welcoming rather than intimidating. And it depends on the culture within the companies. Companies should make space for different voices and encourage learning. When the field feels accessible instead of exclusive, more women will find their way into it and thrive.”
FIRA Award
Winning the FIRA Women in AgRobotics Award feels very personal to Arha, who comes from a culture where girls are not encouraged to seek out careers in tech. “Women are still underrepresented in both agriculture and robotics, and I come from a place where girls are often encouraged to stay within certain limits. So choosing a different path really did feel like I was breaking a barrier.”
What truly surprised her, though, was seeing how much this achievement meant to the younger women around her. “It made them imagine more for themselves, and that has honestly been the most rewarding part of this journey. If even one woman sees this and thinks, ‘Maybe there’s space for me in agrobotics too’, then the award has already done its job. For me, this award is a quiet reminder that when one woman takes a step forward, others often find the courage to follow. And I’m genuinely grateful to Niqo for being the team that supported me every step of the way.”
“lack of representation is not a sign you don’t belong, it is a sign the field needs more voices like yours”
“I think these awards are still necessary, but for a very specific reason. Women in agriculture especially in ag-tech, engineering, and robotics are still under-represented. Recognition doesn’t always happen organically. These awards create visibility, open doors, inspire younger women, and spotlight contributions that might otherwise get overlooked. At the same time, I hope eventually these awards become obsolete. That would mean the industry has reached a point where gender is no longer a differentiator and recognition is purely merit-driven. Until we get there, they serve an important and meaningful purpose.”
When we ask Arha what she would say to young women who want to pursue a career in agrobotics, this is what she had to say: “agrobotics needs you. This is an industry that is being built in real time, and there is no fixed playbook you have to conform to. If you are curious, analytical, and willing to be hands-on, you already have what it takes. Don’t get discouraged by the lack of representation. It is not a sign you don’t belong, it is a sign the field needs more voices like yours. Find teams that value your perspective and aren’t afraid of fresh thinking.”
“Most of all, give yourself the space to learn and figure things out as you go. None of us have all the answers in a space that is evolving this fast. Your willingness to experiment, question, and stay resilient will count far more than fitting into anyone’s idea of what an “ag” or “tech” person should be. Your work can genuinely shape how food is grown in the future. Step in with confidence. The industry benefits when you do.”
This article was published in the December issue of Women in Ag Magazine. Click here to read the magazine.
