The government’s new drone scheme for women’s self-help groups (SHGs) will boost opportunities and growth for the drone industry and create a win-win situation for both industry and agriculture, senior executives said.
“I think this is the biggest news that the drone industry has ever received, because such amounts of funds have never been allocated (in relation to the drone industry),” Agnishwar Jayaprakash, founder and CEO of drone-maker Garuda Aerospace, told ET.
The government announced on Wednesday it has approved an outlay of Rs 1,261 crore for the period from 2024-25 to 2025-26 for the scheme. Under the scheme, drones will be provided to 15,000 women’s SHGs during the period 2023-24 to 2025-2026 to provide rental services to farmers for agriculture purposes.
The government’s recognition of the agricultural drone application is a welcome step which will drive faster adoption of the technology, said Kannan M, chief marketing officer at Dhaksha Unmanned Systems.
“This scheme is a testimony to our belief that agriculture will be one of the key sectors for drone usage in India, and for the technology’s adoption… Every (drone) company will be eyeing this as an opportunity, not only to sell but also to make an impact in the lives of rural women, and ..
