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  Fruits and leafy vegetables bear the risk of rejection in international trade on account of off-label use of the agrochemical and the absence of country MRLs.

CropLife India, an association of 17 R&D driven crop science companies, and the leading voice of the plant science industry in India, conducted a Workshop on “Crop Grouping principles for establishment of National MRLs”. The absence of label claims for spices, fruits, leafy vegetables etc. leave farmers with limited pest management options. In addition, they bear the risk of rejection in international trade on account of off-label use of the agrochemical and the absence of country MRLs. This workshop will be a milestone in urging the Government of India to discourage off-label use of agrochemicals through implementation of crop grouping scheme.

As per an estimate, out of 554 crops grown in India, more than 85 per cent of crops, due to less acreage or commercial value, don’t have the label claim of Crop Protection Products (PP” s); which leads to off-label use. The implementation of Crop Grouping Principles is the need of the hour, which is part of globally accepted norms. In various countries like USA, EU, Japan and Australia, Crop Grouping Principles were implemented long back which has provided huge benefits to the farmers of those countries. It was a request from the crop protection industry for a long time and a lot of deliberation has been held with the technical experts on the same.

Dr P. K. Singh, Agriculture Commissioner & Chairman – Registration Committee, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare highlighted, “The challenges and opportunities in implementing crop grouping principles in India, is the complexity of India’s diverse climatic conditions; from tropical to temperate, varying rainfall, different soils, and a variety of crops and inter-crops; which makes it crucial to adopt a holistic approach.”

Dr. Singh emphasised the importance of concrete outcomes from the workshop, noting, “We have accomplished a lot in this direction, and I hope the concrete deliberations and proceedings from this workshop will help finalize the pointers for the Crop Grouping Government Committee. It is high time we adopt the proceedings of the crop grouping committee. We need to come to a consensus and create plans to ensure no more time or investment is wasted on these studies.”

Dr. Singh even addressed the legal adoption of these principles, mentioning the role of FSSAI, “FSSAI has to adopt the commitments being made regarding MRLs. The future shall hold a smoother process, including the issuance of certificates.”

Dr. J. P. Singh, Plant Protection Adviser, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare highlighted the pressing need to address the challenges of bio-efficacy and safety residues in agriculture. “Considering the scientific principles of bio-efficacy and safety residues, it is high time to extrapolate and expand scientific data to tackle the challenges posed by off-label pesticide use, which is prevalent in many districts.”

Dr. Singh emphasised the need for collaboration and fine-tuning data parameters, “Industry, regulators, and policymakers must work hard to narrow down the gaps in MRL standards at both national and international levels and harmonize these discrepancies to ensure scientific and technical accuracy. We face numerous challenges from climate change and invasive pests. It is crucial to expedite the registration process and reduce off-label pesticide use to provide relief to farmers and the trade. Our ultimate aim is to bring relief to farmers and the trade. We will always support this endeavour, ensuring that no more time or investment is wasted.”

Dr. Archana Sinha, Secretary, Central Insecticide Board & Registration Committee, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, stressed on the significance of crop grouping, “Crop grouping will address the issue of off-label pesticides that India faces and expedite MRL fixation for minor crops. It should not be a one-time process; it must be dynamic. Over time, the impact of adopting crop grouping should be assessed to add or delete elements in the MRL fixation process. Monitoring MRLs and keeping moralities in mind during data generation is crucial to understand where we’re headed.”

Durgesh Chandra, Secretary General, CropLife India shared, “It is indeed a proud moment that the transparent deliberations within the Department of Agriculture, Central Insecticide Board and industry experts have resulted in the pragmatic Crop Grouping principles. It has always been our endeavour to provide global practices based on sound scientific principles; for the growth of Indian agriculture.”

  Fruits and leafy vegetables bear the risk

During the 43rd Annual General Meeting held in New Delhi, Anil Kakkar, Vice President – Sales and Marketing, Sumitomo Chemical India was re-elected as the Vice Chairman, 3rd year in a row and Ankur Aggarwal, Managing Director, Crystal Crop Protection Ltd. has been elected as the second Vice Chairman.

CropLife India; the association of leading domestic and multinational R&D driven crop science companies; is pleased to announce that Dr K. C. Ravi, Chief Sustainability Officer, Syngenta India has been re-elected as the Chairman of the Board, 4th year in a row; during the 43rd Annual General Meeting held in New Delhi. Anil Kakkar, Vice President – Sales and Marketing, Sumitomo Chemical India was re-elected as the Vice Chairman, 3rd year in a row. Ankur Aggarwal, Managing Director, Crystal Crop Protection Ltd. has been elected as the second Vice Chairman of the Board by the members.

With his immense experience, Dr Ravi would continue to lead the agenda of the crop protection industry in championing innovative technologies that enable farmers to sustainably increase productivity while managing the critical challenges facing our environment.

Dr. K. C. Ravi, shared, “As India emerges as a Global Food Hub, the need for a predictable, stable, and science-based policy and regulatory regime in the crop protection sector is imperative. As the Chairman of CropLife India, our unwavering commitment to working passionately for the betterment of Indian farmers; remain unhindered. We are dedicated to provide our farmers, with science-based, science-led, and science-bred products to ensure the effective and enduring protection of their crops”.

 Durgesh Chandra, Secretary General, CropLife India shared, “CropLife India with the support of new Board will continue to engage with all the stakeholders for the growth of the agriculture sector and also of the crop protection sector. CropLife also continues to create awareness amongst the farmers for the safe and responsible use of crop protection solutions”.

Crop protection industry is one of the most important segments of the agriculture sector and contributes significantly to the socio-economic development of the farming community, rural economy and also to the Indian economy. CropLife members are committed to work closely with farmers, scientific community and policy makers to address current as well as future challenges and work towards bringing latest and safer innovations for the farmers. However, the cost of research has gone up and it is estimated that the cost of discovery and development of a new active ingredient is around Rs 2000 crores. If Indian agriculture must flourish, be more competitive, quality driven, reducing wastages as well as losses to enable our farmers to be more successful, it is absolutely essential that a progressive policy environment is in place that fosters innovations.

During the 43rd Annual General Meeting

Deliberations during the National Conference focused on the theme “India – An Emerging Global Food Hub: Role of Sustainable Crop Protection Solutions

CropLife India; the association of leading domestic and Multinational R&D-driven crop science companies; organised a National Conference on the occasion of its 43rd AGM. The conference witnessed the congregation of two Agriculture Ministers from the key States of Andhra Pradesh and Haryana; senior Government officials, experts, academia and industry leaders. YES BANK was the Knowledge Partner for the event.

CropLife India believes that the State Governments will play an imminent role in paving a “Public-Private Pathway” for capacity building and awareness creation

India now stands as the 2nd largest exporter of agrochemicals globally, after China, making it a key participant in the global crop protection industry.

Deliberations during the National Conference focused on the theme “India – An Emerging Global Food Hub: Role of Sustainable Crop Protection Solutions”. The focus of the Inaugural Session was “The Rise of Indian Agriculture – World’s Emerging Food Basket & the Role of States”. Plenary Session I focussed on “Women driving the growth of Indian Agriculture” and Plenary Session II dwelled on “Innovations for the New-Age Farmers.” The Valedictory Session deliberated on “Role of Agrochemicals in the growth of Indian Agriculture.”

During his inaugural address Kakani Govardhan Reddy, Minister of Agriculture Government of Andhra Pradesh shared that, “The State Government is committed towards Farmers’ education for enhanced use of new technology in agriculture; which has led to multiple novel initiatives viz. ‘E-KYC Know Your Crop’ aims to provide farmers with essential digital resources. The State is considering implementing the State Minimum Support Price Act to further bolster inclusive agricultural practices.”

J. P. Dalal, Minister of Agriculture Government of Haryana said, “Farmers of Haryana are being encouraged to take up crop diversification and produce as per the market demands. Asia’s largest market, spanning over 550 acres, is under construction in Ganaur in Haryana and will be better than the markets in developed countries like Spain and France. The market would provide farmers with facilities for grading, packaging and sorting at the block and tehsil levels, thus helping in export quality products to the international market.”

Dr. K. C. Ravi, Chairman, of CropLife India said, “As India emerges as a Global Food hub, the need for a predictable, stable and science-based policy and regulatory regime for the proper growth of the crop protection sector is imperative. This would promote innovation and new product introduction to address the current and upcoming challenges faced by farmers; while paving the way with introduction of cutting-edge technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Drones.”

The crop protection industry has been making an immense contribution to Indian Agriculture in the last 77 years and is committed to continuing the same. CropLife India members are not only committed to bringing the latest and safer innovations but are equally committed to educating farmers on their safe and responsible use. CropLife and its member companies would like to continue to contribute to creating a science-based, pragmatic and stable regulatory environment.

CropLife members continue to work closely with farmers, the scientific community and policymakers to address current as well as future challenges. However, the cost of research has gone up and it is estimated that the cost of discovery and development of a new active ingredient is around INR 2000 crores. If Indian agriculture must flourish, be more competitive, quality quality-driven and reduce wastages as well as losses to enable our farmers to be more successful, it is absolutely essential that a progressive policy environment is in place that fosters innovations.

Deliberations during the National Conference focused on

Adoption of IPM & Kisan Drones in the year of Millets were the focal points FPOs targeted for effective knowledge transfer and wider outreach

CropLife India, an association of both Indian and Global R&D-driven crop science organisations, and the leading voice of the plant science industry in India pioneered a workshop on ‘Innovative Technologies in Crop Protection’ in Telangana. The workshop was organised jointly with Foundation for Agriculture Sustainability and Transformation (FAST) and CropLife India. A demonstration of Kisan Drones and its advantages in agriculture along with a discussion on the Importance of Millets for products & Consumers were integral parts of the workshop.

The workshop was held in Warangal Usha Dayal, District Agriculture Officer, Warangal; being the Chief Guest. Dr Damodhar, Principal Scientist, RARS, Warangal; Ramchander Rao Jojula, Asst. Director of Agri (R), FAST Associate; P. Sarangam, Asst. Director of Agriculture (R), Consultant-NFSC and Jaypal Reddy, Farmer Leader, Warangal, addressed the gathering. Apart from them, present on the occasion were national awardee farmers, officials of FAST, Scientists of Krishi Vigyan Kendra and Extension Officers, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), CropLife India member companies and other officials. 

Usha Dayal, District Agriculture Officer, Warangal said, “With the introduction of Kisan Drones, they are becoming the Indian farmer’s new best friend which would help in saving time and cost and increasing yield and productivity. The Centre and State Governments are taking all the necessary steps to facilitate the usage of drones.”

Dayal added, “The outreach effort being done by CropLife India towards Integrated Pest Management techniques like the role of beneficial insects including pollinators; judicious and responsible use of crop protection products; secure storage of crop protection products; impacts of counterfeit and illegal products; use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment); correct spraying techniques and triple rinsing of used containers; are highly beneficial for farmers.”

 Durgesh Chandra, Secretary General, CropLife India shared, “We believe that with all the favourable policy support coming in from the Government, the conducive ecosystem needs to be nurtured in order to ensure faster adoption of drones in Indian Agriculture. All the ecosystem stakeholders- Government, Agricultural Universities, Research Institutions, Corporates, Industry Associations, Drone Training Institutes, Drones manufacturers, Drone service providers, FPOs, farmers, Agri & Rural Entrepreneurs, etc. will have to work in tandem towards achieving this.”

Adoption of IPM & Kisan Drones in

The session was aimed at benefitting both the students and the stakeholders in agriculture research alike.

India’s leading drone manufacturer and service provider Marut Drones was invited to participate in a day’s workshop on Stewardship and Innovative Technologies in Crop Protection at Regional Agricultural Research Station (PJTSAU), Warangal. The workshop came as a joint initiative by CropLife India and Foundation for Agriculture Sustainability and Transformation (FAST).  Prem Kumar Vislawath from Marut Drones conducted a session on ‘Artificial Intelligence and Drone Technologies’ and gave a perspective on the current drone technology landscape in the country and the way forward. The session was aimed at benefitting both the students and the stakeholders in agriculture research alike.

The event was attended by students, researchers, academicians, and agriculturists. The Chief Guest Usha Dayal, District Agriculture Officer, Warangal, delivered an address on developing the country as a pioneer in innovative technologies especially in agriculture.

The Founder of Marut Drones Prem Kumar Vislawath said, “It is an opportune moment for us to be here at the workshop as the students will get some hands-on experience which is very important in giving them the right exposure of the drone industry in India and understand the right skills they need to acquire in this direction.”

Recently Marut Drones was also a prominent was part of the Youth20 (Y20) Inception Meeting as an esteemed panelist at the three-day event. Hosted by the Government of India Y20 at IITG between 6-8 February it aimed to provide the youth a platform to raise their concerns on issues faced in the modern world, contribute vision and ideas towards the policy-making process of the G20 leaders through policy recommendations, and lay the groundwork for programmes of Y20 during India’s G20 Presidency.

The session was aimed at benefitting both

Inaugural session was centred around “Agriculture Transformation during ‘Amrit Kaal’ – Role of Crop Protection”

CropLife India, one of the leading associations of domestic and multinational R&D driven crop science companies, organised a two-day national conference on the occasion of its 42 AGM, which witnessed the congregation of the Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, agriculture ministers from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telengana and Karnataka, senior government officials, experts and industry leaders.

The theme of the conference was “Sustainable Growth of Agriculture for Self-Reliant India” and the inaugural session was centred around “Agriculture Transformation during ‘Amrit Kaal’ – Role of Crop Protection”. A special plenary session on the “Perspectives of State Governments” focussed on the achievements in agriculture in the four key states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telengana and Karnataka.

In his inaugural address, Kailash Choudhary, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, shared that “There is utmost need to employ the latest technology for agriculture and enhance farmer awareness about the same. Drone technology can play a big role as it offers multiple benefits like spraying of agrochemicals, determination of amount of fertilisers and nutrients to be used, among others.”

Surya Pratap Shahi, Minister of Agriculture, Government of Uttar Pradesh, opined that the crop protection industry should continue to develop greener chemistries for sustainable growth. He also invited the crop protection industry to invest in Uttar Pradesh which is on a trajectory towards becoming a food basket of the country as well as the world.

Commenting on the resources required for boosting agriculture, S. Niranjan Reddy, Minister of Agriculture, Government of Telangana, said, “The biggest task of mankind is to keep the soil healthy for better human health and wellness. Water conservation is essential for agriculture and Telengana is the first state to implement Watershed program in 1983-84. Under Mission Kakatiya, 46000 water tanks and water bodies in Telangana have been restored. Due to concerted efforts, water has brought about the biggest revolution in Telangana.”

Kamal Patel, Minister of Agriculture, Government of Madhya Pradesh, said, “Madhya Pradesh has been taking many key initiatives like insurance to safeguard the interests of small holder farmers and make the farmers self-reliant”. Patel also invited industry to work with the state government on stewardship and other initiatives.

B. C. Patil, Minister of Agriculture, Government of Karnataka, said, “The Karnataka government has increased the reservation of students from the families of farmers in admissions to B.Sc. Agriculture, from 40 per cent to 50 per cent. The total number of reserved seats for this category of students in agriculture universities is 1230 while the total intake is 2460 in the state.”

Dr K. C. Ravi, Chairman, CropLife India, said, “There is a need for a predictable, stable and science-based policy and regulatory regime for the proper growth of the crop protection sector; which promotes innovation and new product introduction to address the current and upcoming challenges faced by farmers while paving the way with introduction of cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and drones.”

CropLife India is an association of 16 R&D driven member companies in crop protection and jointly represent 70 per cent of the market and are responsible for 95 per cent of the molecules introduced in the country.

Inaugural session was centred around “Agriculture Transformation

FPOs targeted for effective knowledge transfer and wider outreach

CropLife India, an association of 16 R&D driven crop science companies, and the leading voice of the plant science industry in India, pioneered an awareness cum training program on “Application of Kisan Drone Technology in Agriculture” throughout the State of West Bengal. The training and demonstration program was organized jointly with the Agriculture Department and State Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute (SAMETI) Government of West Bengal.

The two days training and demonstration program was held in Narendrapur on 15 & 16 September 2022; Swami Sarvalokananda, Secretary, Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narendrapur; Hrishikesh Mudi, Special Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Govt. of West Bengal; being the Chief Guest. Dr. S. Chattaraj, Sr. Scientist, NBSSLUP, ICAR, Kolkata, Dr. Dibyendu Dutta, Former Scientist – Head & GM, RRSC-East, ISRO, Kolkata, Dr Damodhara Rao Mailapalli, Associate Professor, IIT, Kharagpur and Dr. Manas Ghosh, Principal ATC & Director SAMETI addressed the gathering. Apart from them, present on the occasion were officials of SAMETI, Scientists of Krishi Vigyan Kendra and Extension Officers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), member companies and other officials.

Hrishikesh Mudi, Special Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Government of West Bengal said, “With the introduction of Kisan Drones, they are becoming the Indian farmer’s new best friend which would help in saving time, cost and increasing yield and productivity. The Centre and State Governments are taking the all the necessary steps to facilitate the usage of drones.” During the program, CropLife India released its Drone Poster for quick reference & further dissemination. CropLife India believes that with all the favourable policy support coming in from the Government, the conducive ecosystem needs to be nurtured in order to ensure faster adoption of drones in Indian Agriculture. All the ecosystem stakeholders – Government, Agricultural Universities, Research Institutions, Corporates, Industry Associations, Drone Training Institutes, Drones manufacturers, Drone service providers, FPOs, farmers, Agri & Rural Entrepreneurs, etc. will have to work in tandem towards achieving this. Many agrochemical companies are exploring avenues for improving farmers’ stickiness towards their products. Hence, going forward, the demand for customised Drone-as-a-service models (Agricultural applications and Crop protection) is bound to rise by leaps and bounds

FPOs targeted for effective knowledge transfer and

Collaborations between innovators and agrochemical companies would play an imminent role in flattening the learning curve

ThinkAg along with CropLife India, the leading voice of the plant science industry in India have organised an Industry Round table “AgLab” – Connecting innovators with corporates – Drone Applications in Agriculture & Crop Protection – bringing together all stakeholders of the Agriculture Drone ecosystem with a ‘focused platform for partnerships’ for the start-ups and stressed on the need of fast tracking and large-scale adoption of drone technology for agrochemical spraying in the country. 

Shomita Biswas, Joint Secretary (M&T), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India said, “It is time to make drones accessible for farmers. There are 200+ start-ups, engaged in manufacturing and providing drone services in agriculture, who would play a pivotal role. Empanelling with the State Governments and becoming custom hiring centres themselves; are the critical next steps for start-ups. 

The Government of India has added another intervention of involving the rural youth. Just with Bachelor in Science – agriculture degree, he/she can open a custom hiring centre, own a drone, and be an entrepreneur; employing others. Youth will be the ambassadors of Drone technology and hence we must leverage this segment. Start-ups in this sector can engage with the youth and other partners at village level and helping the growth of agricultural economy.

AsitavaSen, Chief Executive Officer, CropLife India, anchored the webinar shared, “CropLife India is committed to help develop a conducive ecosystem and quick adoption of Kisan Drones in India. Collaborations between innovators and agrochemical companies would play an imminent role in flattening the learning curve.” Sen added, “The purpose of the webinar is to offer a ‘focused and neutral platform for partnerships’ between the start-ups and Agrochemical/Agriculture input companies for knowledge sharing. Partnerships amongst stakeholders is critical to overcome the challenges and leverage the opportunities that this new technology offers.” 

Collaborations between innovators and agrochemical companies would

The concern of disposal of empty pesticide containers needs to be addressed collectively by all stakeholders

CropLife India, an association of 16 R&D driven crop science companies, and the leading voice of the plant science industry in India, organised a Virtual International Symposium on Empty Pesticide Containers (EPC) Management in India – Roadmap for Sustainable Management of Empty Pesticide Containers; which was attended by delegates from across the world including Asia, Europe and Africa. 

A Discussion Paper – Roadmap for Sustainable Management of Empty Pesticide Containers was released on during the symposium by Dr S K Malhotra, Chairman Registration Committee, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India; Dr K K Sharma, Former Network Coordinator, All India Network Project on Pesticide Residues, Indian Agricultural Research Institute and other dignitaries.

Dr S K Malhotra, Chairman Registration Committee, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India said, “There is an upsurge of demand for safe food crops. The industry has been forthcoming in registering newer and greener chemistry. In order to be sustainable, the concern of disposal of empty pesticide containers needs to be addressed collectively by all stakeholders hence lowering the burden on the environment.”

Dr K K Sharma, Former Network Coordinator, All India Network Project on Pesticide Residues, Indian Agricultural Research Institute said, “As per the study conducted by the All India Network Project on Pesticide Residues, Indian Agricultural Research Institute; used pesticide containers should be rinsed three times thus making them safe to dispose and recycle in the country. The study results can be considered to support re-classification of triple rinsed empty pesticide containers in India as non-hazardous.”

The concern of disposal of empty pesticide

Today, satellite-driven technology, big data analytics and digital solutions are helping farmers in many countries including India to make better and more informed cropping decisions. Drones have become one among the most promising emerging technologies. However, the benefit quotient of these airborne unmanned tech can be expedited by some swift and pragmatic governmental interventions. According to a report published by Allied Market Research, the global agriculture drones market size was valued at $0.88 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $5.89 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 22.4 per cent from 2021 to 2030. Keeping these stats in mind, let’s delve deeper.

Even though the Agri-drone sector in India is at a very nascent stage, the future looks promising as there are many key players like Bayer, CropLife India, BharatRohan, Dhanuka, among other players, entering the Indian market to expand the use of drone technology. Recently, the Government of India has introduced new rules and regulations pertaining to drones which has made operations easier for the drone companies.

The policy on Kisan Drones will significantly boost the Agri Drone Industry in India with grants, subsidies, and research opportunities. Apart from its advantages and benefits, the drone industry faces bigger concerns like labour shortage, proper training of operators, use of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and cost aspect which restricts the industry from adopting this technology. All these concerns call for looking at this technology in a more comprehensive way.

Can drone industry flourish in India?
According to a report by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and global consultancy firm, EY, Indian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market is expected to touch $885.7 million by 2021, while the global market size of drone is pegged at $21.47 billion. Currently India is the 5th largest importer of drones. In the past few years, use of drones in agriculture has gained a lot of attention in digital space and precision agriculture is the need of the hour. There is an immediate need for the agricultural sector to adopt leading-edge digital and precision agriculture technologies to improve farm productivity and democratise access to market information for all farmers in India. Drone technology can potentially revolutionise the farming industry through need-based precise and focused application of crop inputs.

As pointed out by Rishabh Choudhary, Co-Founder & CTO, BharatRohan, “We have a population of 1.3 billion people which is projected to reach 1.6 billion by 2050 and we must find ways to meet the increased food demand without modifying natural resources. Still, an average Indian farmer loses 20-25 per cent of his crop due to pests, diseases, and various other ecological factors. Precision agriculture can help farmers make better informed decisions while helping them with sustainable farming practices and increase their profit per acre. Drones are very versatile and can help us understand the state of crops at centimetre level precision with high efficiency and low cost and can also help farmers spray chemicals at a much faster pace.”

He further said, “Rise in venture capital funding for the deployment of drones in the agriculture industry and surge in adoption of precision farming solutions by the farmers drives the growth of the agri drone industry. The increase in the automation industry in farming and agriculture provides abundant growth opportunities for drone’s application in the agriculture sector.”

Adopting drone technology
With the market for agricultural drones reaching a whopping $1.3 billion globally, the purpose of adopting drone technology is to focus n accurate and reliable information. For which, industry players and the government of India are working keenly towards drone adoption technology in the country. As mentioned by Choudhary, “Recently the Government of India came up with new Drone rules and regulations which has made operations easier for the Drone companies and Policy on Kisan Drones will significantly boost the Agri Drone Industry in India with grants, subsidy and research opportunities provided by the government. Agri drones will be the future of India. Drone startups can use this opportunity to accomplish better technological capacities. It is also a pushing for public-private partnerships for high-tech farm services in which drone technology will be a major player. All these efforts would not just encourage farmers to switch to digital and mechanised farming but also boost growth in the agribusiness sector and create more employment opportunities for youth.”

In another initiative, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed extensive use of drones in agriculture, including spraying insecticides and nutrients. The proposed drones-as-a-service (DRaaS) model has capabilities to revamp and boost India’s fragmented drone industry for new business and employment avenues. In her budget speech, the minister spoke about the Drone Shakti scheme, encouraging drones as a service in our country. Undoubtedly, drones have evolved from defence only equipment to multi-purpose equipment, which can be used for several sectors like governance, farming, logistics, to name a few.

Furthermore, Ministry of Agriculture has recently granted interim approval to 477 pesticides for drone usage, to fast track agridrone adoption in India. For this, each pesticide needs to be approved by the Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee which would take 18-24 months. The registered pesticides will include insecticides, fungicides, and plant growth regulators (PGRs), for commercial use throughdrones for two years.

How cost effective is it?

The first and foremost issue that is faced by this industry is the cost aspect of drones. As highlighted by Navneet Ravikar, Chairman &Managing Director, Leads Connect Services, “Possibilities of a phenomenal thrive in the Agri Drone industry is imminent regardless of the challenges it may face due to the requirement of change in the mindset of the stakeholders. First and foremost, the issue is regarding the cost aspect of drones. There is apprehension that this may either discourage or create doubts in the minds of the farmers.”


Managing cost-aspect of drones
Consideration of cost aspects should now be in the context of long-term returns. Especially when there is a looming threat of climate change and shrinking arable land on agricultural productivity.
Intervention of technology is now indispensable to increase agricultural productivity, which will certainly help in recovering the cost of implemented technologies. There is a need to work on possibilities where financial assistance can be given to farmers or Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) for adopting advanced technologies. The government has already announced a huge subsidy on drones
being purchased by FPOs.

Boosting agri-drone industry
To boost the agri-drone industry in India, many key players have stepped up with initiatives that have helped farmers exponentially. Delhibased agritech startup BharatRohan Airborne Innovations has helped 3600 mint farmers in Uttar Pradesh to save around Rs 3620 per acre. Choudhary said, “BharatRohan is currently serving 20,000 acres of the land owned by farmers spread across Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. We incentivise farmers who implement our sustainable crop advisories to farmers associated with industrial buyers who are looking for traceable farm produce and
ingredients. We have thorough experience in working with crops like Sugarcane, Japanese Mint, Paddy, Potato, and some seed spices and pulses.”

He further pointed out, “By using drone technology, we can optimise wastes as Agri drones enable optimum usage of all the resources in the field. We use UAV/Drone based hyperspectral imagery for agri-advisory and drone based digital soil testing. We deploy advanced remote sensing tools like drones equipped with Hyperspectral Cameras to monitor the agriculture crops of the subscriber farmers on a 7 to 15-day interval. Thereby replacing the guesswork of traditional practices with scientific advisory. Hyperspectral imaging is a tool that helps them detect minuscule colour changes occurring in a plant when it is infested by a pest or a disease.” The startup has recently raised seed fundinginvestments in a round led by Upaya Social Ventures and Acumen Fund, to expand its dronebased crop monitoring in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Furthermore, with the central government giving impetus to ‘Kisan Drones’, drone startups as well as large industry players like Mahindra Farm Equipment Sector and CropLife are putting together their agri drone strategy.

There has been an exceptional collaborative and consultative fast paced policy making process led by the Government with stakeholders’ involvement, preceding the Budget announcements for Krishi Drones. CropLife India was closely involved in development of the drone application Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and Guidelines for use of Drone application for crop protection, as part of the expert committee set up, and shared best practices across Asian countries.

Sharing his insights on this, Asitava Sen, Chief Executive Officer, CropLife India said, “The government is already playing a facilitator’s role with progressive policies, subsidy schemes and production-linked incentives to make India a major hub for drones.” He further said, “We should now look into how all stakeholders can work together to help develop a Conducive Ecosystem for Drone Applications in Agriculture. The objective forevery stakeholder should be market development through farmer awareness, successful demonstrations and evolving innovative business models. There will be plenty of scope for improving market share later.”

Not only this, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently launched Kisan Drones at 100 places across the country from Manesar. “I am sure this launch will not only prove to be a milestone in the development of the drone sector but will also open endless doors of possibilities. I am also told that Garuda Aerospace has set a target of making one lakh ‘Made in India’ drones in the next two years. This will generate new jobs and new opportunities for several youngsters. I congratulate the team of Garuda Aerospace,” said PM Modi.

According to the PM, the Kisan Drone is now the beginning of a new age revolution in this direction. In another step towards realising a collective vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Central Government has also approved the ProductionLinked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and drone components.

In another step towards realising a collective vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Central Government has also approved the ProductionLinked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and drone components.

Global scenario

According to the report published by Allied Market Research (AMR), the global agriculture drones’ market was estimated at $0.88 billion how all stakeholders can work together to help develop a Conducive Ecosystem for Drone Applications in Agriculture. The objective for every stakeholder should be market development through farmer awareness, successful demonstrations and evolving innovative business models. There will be plenty of scope for improving market share later.”

One of the leading global suppliers of specialty chemicals for agriculture, Clariant has recently launched DropForward: a focused approach to providing precision application with adjuvants and co- formulants. The company is offering its customers Synergen DRT: the first solution to come out of its DropForward concept. “Synergen DRT helps to control drift and volatility of fine droplets during application and helps improving the coverage and penetration of the actives in the leaves, boosting biological performance as well as making drone spraying more sustainable and environmentally friendly,” said Fabio Caravieri, Clariant’s Head of Marketing, Industrial & Consumer Specialties.

Further, Bayer has partnered with innovative drone startup, General Aeronautics and conducted several in-house and external R&D trials with universities and central research institutions to generate data to make drone-based services available to farmers. Another leading firm ADAMA and Agremo, a leading aerial analytics provider, have announced an expansion programme of the ADAMA EagleEye, a drone analytics farming platform powered by Agremo and operated by ADAMA.

Dispelling doubts, instilling confidence
The most relevant measure that is required from the industry is to make use of drones cost effective for farmers.

Ravikar said, “It is important to understand that the success of the drone industry is also dependent on the conviction of farmers that using drones will not create a huge financial burden for them. So, in the truest essence, drone manufacturers must start putting farmers on priority when they discuss their business models on the table. However, we are yet to be fully selfsufficient in drone manufacturing. Sum it up, we have a long way to cover to provide cost effective methods using drones.”

He added, “Also, the growth of the agri drone industry is dependent on encouraging frameworks where multi and inter disciplinary technologies can be incorporated seamlessly. In addition, this is also very important to understand that flying drones across regions can be cumbersome and time consuming. Therefore, robust smart drone survey frameworks need to be developed. Besides making the process of data collection easy and seamless, smart drone surveys can be instrumental in threshold analysis, and such analysis is necessary for upscaling things.”

Besides this, the government needs to create a positive outlook for imports and provide policy support for ‘Make in India’ drones.

Pooja Yadav
pooja.yadav@mmactiv.com


Today, satellite-driven technology, big data analytics and

Government’s focus on implementing drone-based agrochemical spraying to boost the sector

CropLife India has commended the Indian government’s provisions for agricultural drones in the national budget. It notes that the government’s focus on implementing drone-based agrochemical spraying through funding arrangements for start-ups and rural enterprises will
boost the sector. The funding will include blended capital raised under a co-investment model through the country’s National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). NABARD is an apex regulatory body for the overall regulation of regional rural banks and apex cooperative banks in India.

Asitava Sen, CEO, CropLife India’s, hails the inclusion of kisan drones (farming drones) in the national budget, for which the association put forth a range of suggestions to the government in November.

Government’s focus on implementing drone-based agrochemical spraying

The SOP will render guidance to the stakeholders involved in undertaking safe and effective control of pest and diseases by the application

CropLife India, an association of 15 R&D-driven crop science companies, and the leading voice of the plant science industry in India, compliments the Government of India for releasing the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for use of drone application for crop protection in agricultural, forestry, non-cropped areas, etc. The SOP will render guidance to the stakeholders involved in undertaking safe and effective control of pest and diseases by drone-based pesticide application.

Asitava Sen, CEO, CropLife India opines, “It is indeed a proud moment that the transparent deliberations within Department of Agriculture, Central Insecticide Board and Ministry of Civil Aviation and industry experts have resulted in the pragmatic SOP and Guidelines for Registration requirements; in an exemplary schedule. These guidelines will now be studied and set the benchmark for ongoing engagements in other Asian countries. Very glad to share that CropLife was allowed to actively participate in several deliberations while framing up these SOP.”

The SOP will render guidance to the