Context:
India’s agricultural sector is witnessing a significant push towards technology adoption through agri-drones and digital platforms. These innovations aim to improve productivity, reduce input costs, and create rural employment.
Agri-Drones: Scaling Up Rapidly
- Garuda Aerospace launched a facility in Chennai to manufacture over 100,000 drones by 2026.
- 300 Centres of Excellence inaugurated for R&D and skilling in drone tech.
- Drones offer:
- 10x coverage over manual spraying,
- Reduced pesticide/water use,
- Lower chemical exposure risks for farmers.
- Subsidies under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation:
- Up to 100% for demos, 75% for FPOs.
- Drone Didi scheme: 15,000 drones to women-led SHGs by 2026.
Digital Agriculture Mission & Agri Stack
- Agri Stack integrates land records, farmer IDs, crop data.
- Pilot projects cover 436 districts with digital IDs and geotagged crop surveys.
- Enables AI-powered precision farming, early warnings, and improved subsidy/credit targeting.
Challenges
- High equipment cost, poor rural connectivity, and low digital literacy.
- Fragmented land holdings hinder drone efficiency.
- Concerns over data privacy and ownership.
- Benefits currently unevenly distributed.
Way Forward
- Invest in last-mile training and infrastructure.
- Ensure SHG and FPO ownership models for shared drone access.
- Protect farmers’ data rights and promote inclusive digital adoption.
BS
