Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, and Information and Broadcasting, launched India's first Drone Skilling and Training Virtual E-Learning Platform in Chennai on 06 December 2022.
Thakur also inaugurated the first of 1000 planned Drone Centres of Excellence at Garuda Aerospace's Manufacturing unit in Chennai, as well as Garuda Aerospace's Drone Yatra, dubbed 'Operation 777,' which is intended to educate and demonstrate the efficacy of drones for various agricultural uses across 777 districts in India, according to an official release.
"I am thrilled to launch Garuda Aerospace's Drone Yatra and the first Virtual E-Learning platform. I was also impressed by the most advanced and well-equipped manufacturing facility. I can see the vision that our Prime Minister Narendra Modi had and what the country's youth is accomplishing daily," Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur said at the start of the Drone Yatra at Agni College of Technology in Chennai. According to Thakur, India will require at least 1 lakh drone pilots by 2023.
"As we progress, India will require at least one lakh drone pilots by 2023, making it the drone skill hub. 'Kisan drones,' or agricultural drones, are the beginning of new-age developments in the agricultural sector. This will not only affect farmers but will also create jobs for various people. Garuda Aerospace has given and will continue to give thousands of young people the opportunity to grow and make a difference," he said. Around 2000 students attended the event, and over 10,000 students participated virtually from 1000 colleges in 500 districts across India.
Minister Anurag Singh Thakur witnessed the power of drones in a demonstration and spoke briefly with a team of experts about its advantages. He also flew a drone after a quick crash course to gain hands-on experience and understand functionality and technology. Minister Anurag Singh Thakur also presented RPTO certificates to 75 youth who completed drone training successfully and 10 Garuda Aerospace drones to young entrepreneurs who decided to become drone service providers.
"We are privileged to have Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of Sports, Youth Affairs, Information and Broadcasting, at Garuda Aerospace, who is constantly pushing the bar to help our farmers with effective farming techniques with the help of drones, flagging off our drone yatra - Operation 777."
"Our drone yatra will help farmers learn more about the technology and better understand crop cultivation. Drones, we believe, are truly revolutionary for our agricultural ecosystem." Garuda Aerospace's Founder and CEO, Agnishwar Jayaprakash, stated. According to the official statement, Garuda Aerospace is a Chennai-based start-up specializing in drone technology.
Its Kisan Drones are outfitted with sensors, cameras, and sprayers and aid in increasing food crop productivity, reducing crop loss, and reducing farmer exposure to harmful chemicals. According to the official statement, they allow for precision spraying of pesticides and fertilizers, crop health monitoring, surveillance, industrial inspection, yield measurement, and crop loss mitigation.
