Drones are becoming an essential part of the Indian agriculture sector, with over 220 drone startups as of February 2022. The adoption of drone technology faces challenges like high costs, regulatory hurdles, and a lack of technical expertise among farmers. Despite these challenges, with supportive government policies and ongoing technological advancements, the future of the agri drone business is bright.
A large portion of India’s gross domestic product (GDP), workforce, and food security are supported by the agricultural sector. Many Indians rely on agriculture as a main source of income. The use of drones in agriculture has the potential to greatly improve productivity. Not only can drones spray an acre in just 5 to 7 minutes, but they can also cover an area of about 25 acres every day, compared to just 2 to 3 acres when employing conventional labour. In addition to reducing reliance on labour, drones offer a safer working environment by eliminating the need for traditional spray methods, which expose labourers to dangerous chemicals.
Agri drones help conserve water and maximise the use of pesticides and fertilisers by distributing the spray uniformly across fields through meticulous mission planning. The Indian government has launched a number of kisan drone initiatives to promote “Drone Shakti” through a variety of uses, including crop assessment, digitisation of land records, insecticide spraying, and nutrient delivery for Drone-As-A-Service (DAAS). Financial support ranging from 40 to 100 per cent is provided to various entities, including farmers, agricultural graduates, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), State Agricultural Universities, and more, under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM), so that they can purchase kisan drones and receive drone training.
Even though India is the world’s leading agricultural producer, few would have predicted a few years ago that tech companies would create tools that could revolutionise precision farming. With the goal of making India a world leader in agritech, more than 2,800 entrepreneurs are currently working hard to realise this ambition.
As far as agri-drones in India are concerned, the next year is looking bright. Some market research estimates put the growth rate at more than 30 per cent, with a range of 31.5 to 38.5 per cent. Within the next several years, agri-drones will be widely used by farmers across the nation. The increasing demand for precision farming, along with developments in drone technology and government backing, are driving this trend.
Sharing his views on this growth, Chirag Sharma, CEO, Drone Destination said, “The government has also recently authorised the Central Sector Scheme, which would allocate Rs 1261 crore to purchase drones for use by women’s self-help groups (SHGs). The plan is to supply 15,000 chosen women SHGs with drones so they may rent them out to farmers for agricultural purposes (fertiliser and pesticide application). Drone spraying services have recently seen an influx of orders from major fertiliser firms like IFFCO and Coromandel, with over two crore acres of spraying already supplied to the industry. Drones can cost anything from Rs 400- 700 per acre, with the exact figure depending on the area and crop.”
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