Budget Provides a Significant Boost to Drone Industry

With the government launching several programmes and projects to stimulate the usage of drones, the drone sector is projected to boom. "The fact that drones have been mentioned multiple times in the union budget shows that the government is interested in developing this technology," said Smit Shah, Director, Drone Federation of India.

The government is trying to promote the positive use of 'Kisan Drones' for crop assessment, digitization of land records, insecticide spraying, and fertilizer spraying, according to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

"Further, the usage of drones in the agriculture sector, paired with the recent subsidy offered by the ministry of agriculture, would assist mechanize the agriculture sector and greatly benefit the farming community," Shah added.

"India is finally gaining the much-needed impetus to become digital, thanks to its immense natural resources ranging from agriculture to minerals and excellent infrastructure. With these developments, the drone industry will be able to work with our farmers to increase operational efficiency and profitability. This is a positive step that will help India's agriculture sector prepare for the future," says Mughilan Thiru Ramasamy, CEO and co-founder of Skylark Drones.

Drone-As-A-Service

Startups will be encouraged to facilitate 'Drone Shakti' through various applications and for Drone-As-A-Service (DrAAS), according to the Union Budget 2022. "The requisite skilling courses will be launched in certain ITIs across all states," Sitharaman stated.

"The budget dutifully recognizes the critical role that drone technology plays in resolving some of the most difficult problems in industries such as land records, infrastructure, mining, disaster management, and agriculture." The launch of the 'Drone Shakti' initiative in Budget 2022-23 will further strengthen the sector, making it at least a $5 billion market in India available primarily to Indian companies." AUS's co-founder and CEO, Vipul Singh, stated.

The Finance Minister stated in her speech that there were seven "sunrise sectors," including Geospatial Systems and Drones. These sectors, she noted, "have enormous potential to help scale up sustainable development and modernize the country." They create job possibilities for young people and improve the efficiency and competitiveness of Indian industry."

Drone education, according to Shah, will lead to high-value and specialized occupations. This will greatly assist young students in establishing a profession in an emerging field.

PLI Scheme

In addition, the release of Drone Rules 2021, the PLI plan for the drone business, and subsidies for drones used in agriculture have given the sector a boost.

On the other hand, Shah stated that "now everyone has to work together," adding that "the introduction of the liberal drone policy is not a one-time event, but rather a continuing discourse between the government and the actors, as well as proactive initiatives."