AgroSpectrum interacted with Chirag Sharma, CEO, Drone Destination to shed more light on the future growth and challenges of agri-drone industry. Edited excerpts:
An urgent need to increase agricultural output and efficiency has sped up the expansion of the agricultural drone market in India. There are about 3,000 drones in operation right now, and by FY25, that number is projected to rise to over 7,000. Frost and Sullivan, an American business consulting firm, predicts that the agri-drone market will reach $121.43 million by 2030, quadruple by 2028, and increase at a CAGR of 38.5 per cent.
This growth would not have been possible without the efforts of the government. To encourage farmers to use drone technology, programmes are offering incentives and financial aid through schemes like the Agricultural Mechanisation Sub-Mission, as well as programmes that promote ‘Kisan Drones’ for crop management. ‘Drone Didi’ is a new programme that will promote sustainable farming practices by providing drone technology to women’s self-help organisations. Owing to all these developments, AgroSpectrum interacted with Chirag Sharma, CEO, Drone Destination to shed more light on the future growth and challenges of this industry. Edited excerpts:
In your opinion, what does the future hold for the agricultural drone market?
Indian agriculture makes a substantial contribution to the nation’s GDP, employment, and food security. Agriculture in India is one of the primary sources of income for many Indians. Almost 70 per cent of India’s people are employed in agriculture. India also has the maximum land dedicated to the production of crops such as wheat, rice, cotton and more.
Drones in agriculture provide increased efficiency by saving time (drones can spray one acre in 5-7 minutes) and increasing the area covered in a day (drones can cover 25 acres per day vs 2-3 acres using conventional labour. Drones also reduce dependency on labour and provide a safe working environment (labourers don’t have to inhale harmful chemicals using traditional spray means). Agri drones also assist in saving water as well as optimising the usage of fertilisers and pesticides by spraying evenly portions over fields using precise mission planning.
The government of India has introduced Kisan Drone initiatives to facilitate ‘Drone Shakti’ through varied applications and Kisan Drones promoted for crop assessment, digitisation of land records, spraying of insecticides, and nutrients for Drone-As-A-Service (DAAS). Under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM), financial assistance ranging from 40 per cent to 100 per cent is provided to farmers, agricultural graduates, Farmer Producer Organisation (FPOs), Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs), State Agri Universities and more, for the purchase of Kisan Drones and their associated drone training.
The government has also recently approved the Central Sector Scheme for providing drones to the Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) with an outlay of Rs 1261 crore. The scheme aims to provide drones to 15,000 selected Women SHGs for providing rental services to farmers for agriculture purposes (application of fertilisers and pesticides).
More recently large fertiliser companies such as IFFCO, and Coromandel have started giving orders for drone spray services and over two crore acres of spray orders have already been distributed to the industry. The average price per acre for a drone varies from Rs 400 to 700 depending upon the region and crop.
For the coming year, the size of the agri drone ecosystem, consisting of drone sales, services and training, can be estimated to be between 3000 crore and 4000 crores. The future of the agri drone industry looks extremely promising because drones are becoming easily accessible while also widely applicable in the agricultural sector.
How has the use of drones impacted the face of India’s agricultural industry?
Over the past few years, Indian farming has seen some major changes because of the adoption of new technologies. One of the most exciting advancements is the drone. These flying machines have the potential to completely change how farming works across the country. Drones are not just making things easier for farmers but also helping them make more money and grow more crops.
They can do a lot of different jobs that used to be hard or take a lot of time. For example, drones can spray chemicals on crops, manage irrigation, check on crop health, find pests, and even make sure that all parts of the field get the right amount of fertiliser.
Drones are a game-changer in Indian farming. Their advanced sensors and cameras equip most unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that allow farmers to observe and manage their crops with precision.
Drones are equipped with advanced sensors, and they can collect high-resolution data on crop health. The accuracy allows the farmers to change their practices. It also helps reduce resource waste and increase yields. They play an important role in monitoring the crop. It helps to capture multispectral and thermal images. This data helps farmers identify different types of crop diseases. It enables targeted interventions, reducing the need for extensive pesticide use.
Besides, drones create accurate and timely maps of farmlands. It aids in crop planning and management. The farmers can analyse maps and improve planting patterns. The drones provide farmers with real-time data. Accurate data enables farmers to make informed decisions. This information empowers farmers to respond quickly to changes in crop conditions and weather conditions as well.
The timely data collected from drones helps farmers. It improves their irrigation practices. While identifying certain areas with moisture deficiencies. The farmers can adjust their irrigation timings. It helps to conserve water and improves the overall efficiency of agricultural practices. Drones provide precision agriculture, which boosts productivity. through improving inputs like pesticides, fertiliser, and water. Farmers can lessen their influence on the environment while increasing harvests.
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