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Agrotech, Award, Company News

The Agri drone AGRIBOT has empowered farmers to increase their income, distinguishing IoTechWorld in this category and earning them the prestigious award

IoTechWorld has been honoured with the distinguished Leaders of Tomorrow Season 11 award in the Technology category, organised by ET Now. 

Recognised as a trailblazer in agriculture drones, IoTechWorld proudly holds the 1st Type certificate from DGCA for its agriculture drone, AGRIBOT.


The event’s chief guest, the Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, presented the award to IoTech’s Co-Founder and Director, Deepak Bhardwaj. During his keynote address, Piyush Goyal remarked that this recognition collectively showcases a new India poised to offer startup opportunities and attract national and international investments.

The jury members at the event also acknowledged the pivotal role that technology is set to play in agriculture. Following the award presentation, Deepak Bhardwaj, IoTech’s Co-Founder and Director, expressed pride in the company’s technological prowess. He highlighted how their unique technology connection with agriculture, particularly through the Agri drone AGRIBOT, has empowered farmers to increase their income, distinguishing IoTechWorld in this category and earning them the prestigious award.

The Agri drone AGRIBOT has empowered farmers

Agrotech, Company News, India, Start ups

IoTechWorld and Pix4D collaboratively orchestrated ‘India’s largest Workshop for Crop Health Monitoring using drones,’ with Cody Sokkappa of Pix4D Japan as the lead instructor

Drone manufacturer IoTechWorld Avigation said it has joined hands with Switzerland-based company Pix4D which specialises in photogrammetry software technology to jointly offer precision farming solutions in the country.

Commenting upon the tie-up between the two companies, Deepak Bhardwaj, Co-Founder and Director, of IoTechWorld Avigation said, “We are witnessing an agri-drone revolution in the country and gradually we are moving towards precision farming. Our association is to foster awareness about drone-enabled crop health monitoring.”

Underlining the objective of the association, Anoop Upadhyay, Co-Founder and Director, of IoTechWorld Avigation said, “Initially our approach involves the creation of awareness among Industry, Researchers, and Academia. Subsequently, we will create awareness among farmers as well.”

Expressing the rationale behind the association, Mitul Arora, Business Development Lead – India & South Asia, Pix4D said, “Everyone needs a customized and one-stop solution. IoTechWorld has drone technology and multi-spectral sensors by the name Sequoia and now they will have our photogrammetry technology too. So, through this association, a one-stop solution will be provided to all, and this will be beneficial for the govt research institutes, crop insurance and other associated specialised tasks.”

India is undergoing a tremendous transformation in the agriculture sector and adoption of technology is happening at an unprecedented level. This opens a huge opportunity and this association is expected to enable faster and deeper integration of technology in various spheres of agriculture.

IoTechWorld is the manufacturer of India’s 1st DGCA Type certified agri-drone ‘AGRIBOT’ and is the pioneer in this segment.

Whereas, Switzerland-headquartered Pix4D is recognized for its Pix4Dfields Software, a cutting-edge solution designed for advanced agricultural mapping. The software processes RGB and multispectral data for aerial crop analysis and digital farming. Pix4D has offices in 7 countries across multiple continents meeting the requirements of these as well as neighboring countries.
IoTechWorld and Pix4D collaboratively orchestrated ‘India’s largest Workshop for Crop Health Monitoring using drones,’ with Cody Sokkappa of Pix4D Japan as the lead instructor. The event drew approximately 70 attendees, predominantly comprised of scientists from governmental institutions. Additionally, a cohort of researchers from esteemed crop protection firms, including Syngenta and BASF, also took part in the workshop.

IoTechWorld and Pix4D collaboratively orchestrated ‘India’s largest

Agrotech, Sustainability

To open 7 new RPTOs, Service centre by Jul’23 to serve a burgeoning market

IoTechWorld Avigation announced that they are in the process of setting up 7 remote pilot training organisations (RPTOs) in 5 states by Jul’23 as it aims to sell 3,000 drones this fiscal, up from 500 in the last fiscal.

Currently, the company has collaborated with several universities and other institutions for RPTOs. The new RPTOs too are being opened in partnership with prominent organisations.

The company set by Deepak Bhardwaj and Anoop Upadhyay is India’s 1st drone manufacturing firm to obtain DGCA Type Certificate (TC) for agri-drone AGRIBOT.

To provide after-sales service and expansion of its network, IoTechWorld will also open a new service centre for agri-drone in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.

Last month the company unveiled plans to expand its product line with the launch of a new type of agri-drone. The company has already showcased a more compact version of its famous drone AGRIBOT.

“2 of the upcoming RPTOs will be functional this month. These have come up at in Gharaunda (Haryana) and Jobner (Rajasthan),” said Deepak Bhardwaj, Co-founder & Director.

During the month of Jun 23 – 3 more RPTOs in Gurugram (Haryana), Chikballapur (Karnataka), and Samastipur (Bihar) will begin operation, he said and added the remaining 2 in Rajamundary and Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, will begin operations in Jul’23.

These RPTOs will have an annual capacity to train 360 budding drone pilots per location annually. The company has helped train 400+ pilots to date.        

 IoTechWorld has a presence in 12 states and will be expanding its footprints in newer geographies as well during the current fiscal.

 “We sold over 500 drones in the year 2022-23 and this year’s target is at least 3,000 drones. We have made a comprehensive plan to meet the target and even surpass it,” said Anoop Upadhyay, another Co-founder & Director of IoTechWorld Avigation Pvt Ltd.

Giving further details about the company’s strategy, he said opening 7 new Remote Pilot Training Organisations (RPTOs) will help IoTechWorld Avigation to train more pilots who can operate the drones safely and efficiently.

“We are excited about our plans and believe that they will strengthen IoTechWorld’s position in the agri-drone market in India. The company remains committed to providing high-quality agri- drones and excellent customer service to its valued customers as well as job opportunities for rural youths, Anoop Upadhyay said.

The company is extensively focusing on creating awareness about the benefits of using drones in agriculture. These agri-drones not only save time and money but also increase farm productivity. Besides, the use of drones in farming activities, like spraying pesticides over crops, has health benefits for farmers.

To open 7 new RPTOs, Service centre

Agrotech, Company News, India, Sustainability

Affordable modern technology & right quality farm inputs can help farmers to increase their yield, quality, and income

R G Agarwal, Dhanuka Group Chairman made a strong pitch for the integration of technological advancements, such as drones and artificial intelligence, with the agriculture sector to enhance crop yield, reduce costs, and ultimately improve the income of farmers.

The Dhanuka Group is a prominent player in the agrochemical industry, with a mission to empower farmers by providing them with innovative solutions.

Addressing a press conference Agarwal said drones and artificial intelligence are two of the most promising technologies that can revolutionize the agriculture industry.

Drones have already been used in the agriculture sector for spraying pesticides and other activities, but they can be promoted on a larger scale through public-private partnerships. We are also supplying the first drones approved by DGCA for use in agriculture as well as spray services, he said.

He said the implementation of advanced technologies like drones and artificial intelligence will enable farmers to compete more effectively in the global market while improving the efficiency of their farming operations.

 “These technologies can help in identifying crop diseases and pests attack in advance, as well as assist in the efficient use of fertilizers and water management. With the help of these technologies, farmers can make informed decisions based on real-time data and plan their crops better,” said Agarwal.

He further said Dhanuka Group is playing a significant role in the promotion of technology and has also invested in a drone manufacturing company. The company is also running several campaigns to increase awareness about the use of the right quality farm inputs and purchase against bill only. He said recently, Dhanuka Agritech has operationalised a state-of-art Research & Training Centre (DART) for farmers at Palwal (Haryana) which was inaugurated by Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar.

Recognising the importance of technology accessibility, Agarwal stressed the need for a right to technology for farmers, ensuring that they have affordable access to modern tools and techniques.

“This inclusion will enable farmers to leverage modern tools and techniques effectively, addressing the challenges posed by climate change. It will enable farmers to make the most of innovative solutions and effectively manage their agricultural operations,” he said.

“The adoption of modern technologies, along with the use of the right quality farm inputs can help farmers address the challenges posed by pest attacks. Drones and artificial intelligence can provide farmers with real-time information about weather patterns, soil moisture levels, and other critical factors that affect crop growth. With this information, farmers can make informed decisions,” he said.

Affordable modern technology & right quality farm

Agrotech, Company News, India, R&D, Start ups

With the DGCA certificate, AG 365 drone is now eligible for Rs 10 lakh unsecured loans from the AIF

India’s leading drone manufacturer, Marut Drones’ has received the Type Certification approvals from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for its tested and robustly designed multi-utility agricultural drone AG 365. “AG 365 is designed and developed for Indian conditions and can be used for multiple purposes giving a higher ROI to the user. AG 365 is extensively tested for more than 1.5 lakh acres and optimised for performance to be used in agriculture. Further, extensive research is undergone with AG 365 for development of crop-specific drone spraying SOPs in collaboration with agricultural universities and research institutes,” the drone manufacturer said.

Having been awarded a type certificate for AG 365 model, the drone is now eligible for INR 10 lakh unsecured loans from the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) at a minimal 5-6 per cent interest rate. Further, a 50-100 per cent subsidy can be availed from the Government of India. The made-in-India Kisan Drone – AG 365 has been developed particularly for agricultural purposes to reduce crop loss, lower agrochemical usage, better yield and profits to the farmers, the company said.

With the DGCA certificate, AG 365 drone

AgroPolicy, Agrotech

Various famers across the country stated their experiences and benefits on using drones as a tool for agriculture

Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M Scindia interacted with various farmers across the country on the benefits and challenges of Kisan Drones. The interaction took place under ‘Samvaad with Scindia, an interactive programme in which minister interacted with the farmers and drone users directly.

He shared the various government policies related to drones and how farmers can benefit from them. These includes:

  1. Liberalised Drone Rules, 2021 has been notified on August 25, 2021
  2. Drone Airspace Map has been published on September 24, 2021, opening up nearly 90 per cent of Indian airspace as a green zone for drone flying up to 400 feet
  3. Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones has been notified on September 30, 2021
  4. UAS Traffic Management (UTM) Policy Framework has been published on October 24, 2021
  5. Monetary grant program for purchase of agricultural drones was announced by the Union Agriculture Ministry on January 22, 2022. 
  6. All five application forms under Drone Rules, 2021 have been made online on the DigitalSky Platform on January 26, 2022
  7. Drone certification scheme has been notified on January 6, 2022, making it easier to obtain type certificate by drone manufacturers.
  8. Drone import policy has been notified on February 9, 2022, banning import of foreign drones and freeing up import of drone components
  9. Drone (Amendment) Rules, 2022 has been notified on 11th February 2022, abolishing the requirement of a drone pilot licence. The remote pilot certificate issued by a DGCA-authorised drone school is adequate for operating drones. 
  10. Applications from drone and drone component manufacturers for PLI scheme for drones and drone components were invited between March 10 to 31, 2022. 

Various farmers across the country stated their experiences and benefits on using drones as a tool for agriculture. Farmers also asked various questions to minister related to drones. The discussion was moderated by Amber Dubey, Joint Secretary who heads the drone division at Ministry of Civil Aviation.

On the question of high fee for drone pilot training, the minister said, “The fees of a drone pilot course are currently quite high but you should not worry at all as when the number of drone schools keep increasing, the cost of training drone pilots will keep on decreasing and you will see revolution within the next three to four months as we keep increasing the number of such schools. The country definitely needs more drone pilots and it is for this reason that their certification process has been completely decentralised. So, now, the DGCA will only certify drone schools, and it is the drone school concerned which will grant certificates to pilots which will completely remove bureaucracy from this process.” In the last six months, DGCA has certified 23 schools for training drone pilots, he further added.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation had earlier this month invited second round of applications for the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme that was announced last year to boost drone manufacturing in India. The deadline for submitting the application form is 2359 hours on May 20, 2022.The final list of PLI beneficiaries is expected to be released by June 30, 2022 after detailed scrutiny of their financial results and other specified documents. 

Various famers across the country stated their