The Finance Minister during her Budget 2022 speech said that the government will deploy drones for crop assessments, land records and spraying of insecticides. It is expected to drive a wave of technology in the agriculture and farming sector, she said.
“Use of ‘Kisan Drones’ will be promoted for crop assessment, digitisation of land records, spraying of insecticides, and nutrients,” Sitharaman said.
“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,” said Mughilan Thiru Ramasamy, CEO and Co-founder Skylark Drones.
Nagendran Kandasamy, Founder and CEO of Throttle Aerospace Systems Pvt Ltd told Business Today said that Drone Shakti and Kisan Drones will help take this technology to impact common people on grass root level at a massive scale.
“Overall the intent to inculcate a strong element of digitisation in form of Kisan drones for crop assessment, in the agri value chain, will leapfrog India’s place in the global agriculture landscape,” said Prasanna Rao, MD & Co-founder, Arya.ag.
Kunal Kislay, CEO, Integration Wizards Solutions called the ‘Kisan Drones' and Drone Sakti programme a huge boost to the Indian agricultural ecosystem and a positive step towards Digital India.
The minister further said that a scheme in PPP mode will be launched for the delivery of digital and hi-tech services to farmers with the involvement of public sector research and extension institutions along with private agri-tech players and stakeholders of the agri-value chain.
“Chemical-free natural farming will be promoted throughout the country, with a focus on farmers’ lands in 5-km wide corridors along river Ganga, at the first stage,” she said during the speech.
Sitharaman also added that states will be encouraged to revise the syllabi of agricultural universities to meet the needs of natural, zero-budget and organic farming.
Also read: Budget 2022 Live Updates: FM Sitharaman begins Budget speech