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HomePosts Tagged "Kisan drones"
Agrotech, Company News, India

Garuda Aerospace’s Kisan drones can support with spraying of fertilisers and pesticides

Focused on positively impacting India’s agriculture sector, Garuda Aerospace continues to expand its market share through partnerships and collaboration. Supporting Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s visionary initiative to empower women-led Self Help Groups (SHGs), Garuda Aerospace announces that it has secured an order of a total of 500 Garuda Kisan Drones from 10 leading fertiliser companies under the NaMo Drone Didi scheme.  National Fertilisers Limited (NFL), Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF), The Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT), Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited (HURL), KRIBHCO Fertilisers, Gujarat State Fertilisers & Chemicals (GSFC), Brahmaputra Valley Fertiliser Corporation (BVFCL), Matix Fertilisers & Chemicals, Paradeep Phosphates (PPL) and Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers (MCF) are the 10  companies which have placed an order for Garuda Aerospace’s Kisan drones under the scheme.

Garuda Aerospace’s Kisan drones can support with spraying of fertilisers and pesticides. Given its precision capabilities, Kisan drones can reduce the quantity of pesticides used in addition to eliminating long exposures to harmful chemicals. Kisan drones are equipped with AI, ML and GPS sensors to help farmers with accurate and real-time information about their crops and farms. The drones also reduce the use of water and are equipped to cover large farming areas in a relatively shorter time. Garuda Kisan Drones can help increase crop yield by 60 per cent and reduce loss of crop by 20 per cent.  

Garuda Aerospace’s Kisan drones can support with

Agrotech, Company News, Drones, India, Start ups

Garuda Aerospace donates Rs 1 crores worth of free Kisan Drones to Kaushalya – The Skill University, Gujrat for specialised training programs in agriculture and skilling.

Garuda Aerospace, India’s leading drone manufacturer, and Kaushalya – The Skill University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost drone technology education in India.

Under the terms of the MoU, Garuda Aerospace commits to providing Kaushalya – The Skill University with 10 small category agricultural drones, valued at approximately Rs 1 crore. These drones will be utilised for specialised training programs in agriculture, contributing to skill development in this crucial sector. Furthermore, Garuda Aerospace will offer mentorship support for drone technology to students and start-ups associated with the university. The collaboration extends beyond hardware support. Garuda Aerospace will provide the services of technical experts in the field of drones through online and offline channels. The company will also engage in collaborative research, indigenization, and product development with university faculties. In a bid to bridge the gap between training and employment, Garuda Aerospace will extend placement support to trainees undergoing drone training through the “Bharat Drone Association.”

” We look forward to synergising our efforts with Kaushalya – The Skill University and contributing to the nation’s progress in the field of drone technology. Recognizing the immense potential and youthful dynamism in Vibrant Gujarat, we are excited about the prospect of positioning the state as the Drone Hub of India. Our enthusiasm stems from the collaborative efforts to equip the younger generation with vital drone skills, aligning seamlessly with our vision for substantial employment growth. Prime Minister Modiji’s visionary initiative, involving the launch of 100 drones in 100 areas and his commitment to deploying 1 lakh drones in the next two years, underscores the rapid expansion of the drone industry. This ambitious goal necessitates the training of 1 lakh pilots, and Gujarat is well-poised to make a significant contribution—10% to the total Drone Pilot community. This development marks a pivotal step in propelling Gujarat to the forefront of the burgeoning drone technology landscape, and we are proud to play a role in this transformative journey.” said Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO, Garuda Aerospace.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is signed between Kaushalya – The Skill University, Govt. of Gujarat, was formally signed in the esteemed presence of the Minister for Industry Small, Micro, and Medium Industries Kutir, Khadi, and Village Industries Civil Aviation Labour and Employment, Balvantsinh Rajput. The signing ceremony involved H.R. Suthar (IAS retd), representing Kaushalya – The Skills University, and Dr. Vijayakumar Rajarathinam, Chief Operating Officer of Garuda Aerospace Private Limited, Chennai.

Garuda Aerospace donates Rs 1 crores worth

Agrotech, Company News, India, R&D, Sustainability

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

Agrotech, India, Start ups

Kisan drones, manufactured by Garuda, are particularly developed for agricultural purposes such as reducing crop loss, crop health monitoring, yield measurement, and crop loss mitigation.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has approved both Type Certification and RTPO for the indigenously designed Kisan Drones by drone manufacturer, Garuda Aerospace.

The Made in India Kisan drones, manufactured by Garuda, are particularly developed for agricultural purposes such as reducing crop loss, crop health monitoring, yield measurement, and crop loss mitigation with the latest manufacturing capacities, and strong technology backgrounds.

DGCA Type certification is provided on the basis of the quality check of the drones and is issued after a rigorous testing process for the UAVs. The Type certification was introduced by the government of India in August 2021 under Drone Rules and the historic dual DGCA approval validates the Chennai-based startup’s tag of being India’s most valuable Drone startup.

Post the approval of the Type Certificate for the GA-AG model, the startup is now eligible for Rs.10 lakh unsecured loans from Agri Infrastructure Fund at a 5 per cent interest and 50-100 per cent subsidy from the Government of India. Priced at Rs.4.50 lakhs, these Kisan Drones are India’s most affordable advanced automated Agri Drone which has DGCA-approved Type Certification in the under 25kg small category.

With this development, ICAR, KVKs, FMTTI, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer welfare, and several other Government Agriculture bodies will now have an option of procuring high-tech Made in India Drones manufactured by Garuda Aerospace. This will lead to creating job opportunities for the youth in the near future and a vision of training 1 lakh drone pilots in the next 2 years. 

Kisan drones, manufactured by Garuda, are particularly

Agrotech, India

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

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

Acquaculture, AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Transportation

Garuda Aerospace has set a target of making one lakh ‘Made in India’ drones in the next two years

Kisan drones were recently launched at 100 places across the country from Manesar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the launch of the kisan drones said, “Till a few years back, a drone was considered to be technology related to the Army, or something used to combat enemies. Our thoughts used to be limited to that particular use only. But today we are inaugurating Kisan drone facilities in Manesar. This is a new chapter in the direction of the modern farming system of the 21st century.”

He added, “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.”

According to the PM, kisan drone is now the beginning of a new age revolution in this direction. For example, in the coming times, with the help of high-capacity drones, farmers can send fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers from their fields to the markets. People associated with pisciculture can send fresh fish catch directly to the market from ponds, rivers and sea. The produce of the fishermen and farmers will reach the market in the shortest possible time with minimum damage.

Garuda Aerospace has set a target of

Finance, Seeds

The finance minister’s announcement to use Kisan drones to map the production is indeed a very good step

The Finance Minister of India has announced various steps particularly focusing on technology in agriculture, which is a very progressive move, according to Bimal Kothari, Vice-chairman, India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA).

He adds, “Crops like pulses and edible oil seeds require special attention because India has been importing them. Though the production of pulses has been given a boost, still, we are importing about 2.5 million tonne of pulses annually. Also, the demand for pulses is increasing to one million tonne annually, so by 2030, India’s demand will be around 30 to 33 million tonne of pulses. Therefore, we need to enhance the production and not just focus on increasing the minimum support price (MSP) every time as it is going to hurt the consumers in the long run. Our Prime Minister’s vision to double farmers’ income can be attained by increasing productivity. As of now, our productivity is low in comparison to international levels.”

According to him, the finance minister’s announcement to use Kisan drones to map the production is indeed a very good step. This will allow to estimate the production and understand the crop losses accurately. It will also be very useful in spraying insecticides. Not just the farmers but even the government will benefit from this drone scheme.

However, he opined that the measures announced for startups in the budget will encourage Agri-tech although this is at a very initial stage as there is still a lot that needs to be done. The contribution of the farming sector in GDP is very less hence we need to bring in more value addition.

Kothari added, “This will happen only if we stop relying on sales of raw materials and use these raw materials to sell value-added products. In the pulses sector, a lot of development is being done in the western world in terms of alternative protein or plant-based meat which is now being introduced in India as well. Therefore, if advanced technologies are brought and set up in India it will not only help the trade and industries but will also help the farmers immensely. As value addition will have an impact on the farming sector. Also, the finance minister has announced the allowance of Rs 2,37,000 crores for procurement of MSP.”

He further mentioned that the government is doing a lot of programmes for wheat and rice which is going on for decades but now more focus is required on oilseeds and pulses. In the pulses sector, there has been procurement in the last three to four years, but this needs to be more channelised. So, the government can do a market intervention to control the prices when the production gets affected due to unavoidable events. This is more important in the pulses sector because India’s pulses production is far better than pulses production in other countries. Therefore, if India faces any shortage of pulses, it won’t be possible to make it up through international markets as well.

The finance minister’s announcement to use Kisan