Drones to take over Indian skies? From agriculture to startups, Budget 2022 propels ‘drone shakti’
Drones are gradually moving into mainstream use cases. This became apparent during the Union Budget 2022 speech by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The govt is pushing for the adoption of the ‘Drone Shakti’. During the budget speech, drones were mentioned as both solutions to some pertinent problems faced by farmers and startups.
Drones are being pitched as quick and effective ways of providing assistance to farmers. The finance minister claimed that the drones can be used to assess crops, spray insecticides and nutrients. FM Sitharaman said, “Use of ‘Kisan Drones’ will be promoted for crop assessment, digitization of land records, spraying of insecticides, and nutrients.”
Drones have also been pitched as a solution for start-ups. These small companies will now be able to use drones to be more efficient. It will also help in reducing the time taken to complete a task. Under the skill development, finance minister said, “Startups will be promoted to facilitate ‘Drone Shakti’ through varied applications and for Drone-As-A-Service (DrAAS).”
Budget 2022 also highlighted that technologies like drones can help achieve sustainable development and modernize the country with versatility. Unde the Sunrise Oppotunities section, the budget mentioned that “Artificial Intelligence, Geospatial Systems and Drones, Semiconductor and its eco-system, Space Economy, Genomics and Pharmaceuticals, Green Energy, and Clean Mobility Systems have immense potential to assist sustainable development at scale and modernize the country. They provide employment opportunities for youth, and make Indian industry more efficient and competitive.”
Mughilan Thiru Ramasamy, CEO & Co-founder Skylark Drones said, “The union budget and the initiatives announced by the honourable Finance Minister continue to provide impetus to the growth of the drone industry in India. The introduction of drone shakti is a welcome move and will ensure business momentum and drive faster adoption of UAVs in the country. It is encouraging to see the government promoting Digital India and digitisation of various sectors through the integration of UAVs through varied applications and drones as a service. India with its vast natural resources spanning from agriculture, minerals, and great infrastructure is finally getting the much-required momentum to become digital.”
He further added, “The announcement to promote the use of ‘Kisan drones’ in the agricultural sector as part of the Budget for 2022-23 will enable the drone industry to collaborate with our farmers to improve operational efficiency and maximize profitability. This is a welcoming move and will make India’s agricultural sector future ready.”
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