In a boon to farmers from the Northeast, "Drone Didis" showcased India's agricultural drone capabilities during an event in Chennai on 14 June.
During the live demonstration, "Drone Didis," a group of women trained in drone operations, piloted agri-drones within the premises, demonstrating their application in activities like pesticide spraying, crop monitoring, and precision agriculture. The exhibition pointed to the increasing participation of women in agri-tech and the potential of drone-led solutions in enhancing crop productivity, reducing input expenses, and solving labour shortages in hilly and far-flung tracts like the Northeast.
Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Kamlesh Paswan, unveiled Garuda Aerospace's new Agri-Drone Indigenization Facility in the city, a major foray into self-reliant drone production and skilling for India's rural and agricultural economy.
Addressing the inauguration, Paswan congratulated the initiative of young business leaders such as Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO of Garuda Aerospace, for actualising the vision of the Prime Minister to make India a world drone hub. The Minister appreciated the facility's scale and ambition and said, "I have never seen 2,000 agri-drones at one place. This is proof of India's preparedness to dominate drone innovation and rural upliftment.
The event saw the announcement of 300 Centres of Excellence (CoEs) and the DGCA-approved Train the Trainer (TTT) program, which seeks to create a countrywide pool of certified drone trainers. These are anticipated to greatly increase drone availability and awareness throughout rural India, especially in regions that are underrepresented, such as the Northeast.
Garuda's new 35,000 sq. ft. facility that will produce more than one lakh drones in the next couple of years is the nation's first-of-its-kind facility for the design, production, and testing of next-generation agricultural drones. The Bharat Drone Association also supported the event and brought together local component manufacturers under one roof at the indigenisation hub.
With concentrated efforts towards skilling, manufacturing, and local outreach, the launch in Chennai marks a turning point in India's agri-drone saga, one with immediate consequences for farmer well-being and agricultural transformation nationwide.
FIRST Business Portal addressing the potential of business capability of North East Region.
