Drone Revolution Project PDF

Introduction Indian agriculture which is considered as a backbone of the Indian economy, is a major contributor to GDP growth. In the fiscal year 2024, Indian agriculture contributed 18% of GVA ( Gross value add),Over half of the workforce engages in agriculture-related activity and is a major sourc...

Introduction Indian agriculture which is considered as a backbone of the Indian economy, is a major contributor to GDP growth. In the fiscal year 2024, Indian agriculture contributed 18% of GVA ( Gross value add),Over half of the workforce engages in agriculture-related activity and is a major source of livelihood for the rural population. Despite of this fact, India is self-sufficient in food demand there is a continuous decrease in arable land because of the increasing population to meet the food demand. So in this context, more productivity of agriculture output with limited resources is quite necessary. The Drone which has already in used for military and civic purposes is significant in its use in agriculture. Its use in Indian agriculture is called as industry 4. O drone in agricultural landscape is revolutionizing farm practices and enabling crop monitoring, assessing the field condition, optimization in irrigation, and precise use of input to maximize productivity. They (Drone) provide real-time data that can optimize crop management, enhance precision farming, and increase overall productivity. The drone is an evolving sector in India and it is expected to gain substantial growth in the future as it is expected to boost GDP by 1- 1.5% and create more than 5 lakh jobs in the upcoming year. many government policies (Including Production Incentive Linkage)supported it and private entities are keen to invest in it. Which will truly help in unlocking the true potential of agriculture and India is set to become the world hub for drones by 2030. It also encompasses sustainability in agriculture. 1 What is a Drone and its uses agriculture? Drone also called unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is a flying robot with the computerized system installed with sensors to monitor agricultural fields. Using of drones is one of the recent trend in agriculture which support the real time data and real-time monitoring of crop fields which was the major problem of old traditional system. Drones are now commonly used for precise application of agricultural inputs along with growth monitoring, plant health management and yield estimation. Agriculture drone have wide range of uses:- Crop monitoring – by taking aerial photograph and videos with the help of drone farmers can asses the potential problem of crops growth. This enables them to adjust their farm operation quickly and effectively which further help to increase the overall productivity Land surveying and mapping:- there are various sensors and controllers fitted in drone which leads to perform its multiple functions. It assist the real time mapping of agriculture fields with spatial and temporal details of large size farm. Surveying the nutrition condition of different types of soils fertilizer requirement and different PH level measures with the help of drone technology. Crop irrigation :- drones having sensor of optical, multispectral and thermal provides the image of crops of specific location where water is exactly requires this lead to reduce the water wastage and efficient utilisation of irrigation. 2 Crop health monitoring: The multispectral camera capture images in specific wavelength of light ( visible and near infrared ) which helps in identifying plant health by detecting light reflection from the leaves. E.g healthy plants reflect more near infrared and absorb visible light, NDVI ( normalised difference vegetation index) indices compares the visible and near infrared light reflected by vegetation to asses weather crops are healthy or not. Livestock management High-resolution cameras used in drone able to detect the herd of livestock their diseased animal can monitor with the help of heat signature so that diseased animal are separated and prevent and precautionary measures are early taken without much loss. Crop insurance Drones can be used for precisely estimating and monitoring of the crop failure. So, it can be helpful for the farmers as well as for insurance companies in providing insurance claims based on the degree of damage. This technology has great potential in accurate and effective implementation of crop insurance scheme, namely Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in India without any bias. 3 How drone installed to monitor agriculture Drones used in agriculture collect data from geographical positioning system (GPS) and sensor-equipped farm equipment and transmit data to a ground control station (GCS) via satellite. Data are then transferred to users over the Internet for analysis and regulation of farm implements. The working concept and real-time implementation of UAVs in agriculture are shown in Fig. GCS gathers information on the fleet's drones, such as geographic data, and prepares and manages drone fleet missions. The fleet is a collection of many drones that receive a mission from GCS and work together to complete it. To implement drone-assisted wireless communications and instruction to the field implements, it is critical to ensure connectivity between drones and GCS. Drones can also be used as standalone input applicators for site-specific management. Drone in Indian agriculture In India where farming practices are still traditional to a large extent the introduction of drones in Indian agriculture is a way forward in technological advancement in agriculture. The drone in agriculture is although recent phenomenon but it can be treated as the revolution in, in Indian agriculture because it has the potential to increase overall productivity. The government of India is very keen to invest in this field and support the farmer through various schemes to boost the utilization of drones private companies also invested in this field as expected high return. Many startup has also benefitted from this opportunity. Till February 2022 over 220 startup in Indian agriculture is observed. 4 India’s agriculture drone market and its expected growth The India agriculture drones market generated a revenue of USD 116.1 million in 2023 and is expected to reach USD 631.4 million by 2030. The India market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 27.4% from 2024 to 2030. In terms of revenue, India accounted for 5.2% of the global agriculture drones market in 2023. Country-wise, U.S. is expected to lead the global market in terms of revenue in 2030. In Asia Pacific, China agriculture drones market is projected to lead the regional market in terms of revenue in 2030.India is the fastest growing regional market in Asia Pacific and is projected to reach USD 631.4 million by 2030. The Indian council of agriculture (ICAR) is actively involved in drone research demonstrating the technology’s potential to improve farm productivity and reduce input. It is also expected that startups in drone will rise from 220 to 700 till 2030. According to a civil aviation minister estimate, India’s drone sector will achieve a turnover of RS 12000-15000 crore by 20206 from about 80 crore. 5  2018-2030 (US$M) SOURCE : GRAND VIEW RESEARCH Some of the leading companies and startup in India which provide solution in agriculture sector:- 1. ( Aarav unmanned system) It is a Bangalore based companies that offers end to end drone solution for precision agriculture such as crop monitoring, soil mapping, irrigation management and pest detection. 2. ( skylark drone) It is also a drone based companies that provide drone based data analytics for various sector including agriculture mining, infrastructure and energy. The company uses drone to capture high resolution images and data and provides actionable insights to farmer. 6 3. ( sense hawk) This company has its headquarter in California but its offices are in Mumbai and Bangalore, offers cloud based platform for drone data management and analysis. 4. (Aggrotech ) A Hydrabad-based company that provides drone based crop spraying services to farmers the company claim to reduce the cost of spraying by 50% and water consumption by 90% compared to traditional method. 5. Garuda aerospace This company is in Chennai provides drone based services in agriculture. The company has deployed drones for spraying pesticides and fertilisers. government scheme and policy to promote drone in agriculture :- kisan drone kisan drone is basically unmanned tank filled with insecticides and nutrients with expected capacity 5-10kg which help to spray the pesticides on the land. This aims to promote chemical free farming which takes less time and effort and uniformly spray the agriculture field. Kisan Drones will be used to boost the agricultural sector in the country, the use of Kisan Drones will be promoted for crop assessment, digitization of land records and spraying of insecticides and nutrients. Prime Minister of India flagged off 100 Kisan drones as a part of the “Drone Kisan Yatra. For promoting use of Kisan Drones, the 7 government is providing 50% or maximum Rs. 5 lakh subsidy to SC-ST, small and marginal, women and farmers of northeastern states to buy drones. For other farmers, financial assistance will be given upto 40 percent or maximum Rs.4 lakh. Up to 75% to the Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) on the purchase of drones. But under the sub-machine on agricultural mechanization, a grant will be given to the recognized Agricultural Training Institute or Krishi Vigyan Kendras on purchase of drones up to 100%. Kisan drone used in agriculture Image source : aggrotech blog Grants to be given under Kisan Drone Scheme Related category & region Details ST/SC and small and marginal, 50% or maximum RS 500000 women and northeastern state To other farmer 40% or maximum RS 400000 Farmer production organisation 75% (FPO) Recognised agriculture training 100% i.e free institute Under Kisan Drone Yojana, farmers will also be provided training to fly drones by the central government. This training will be given to the farmers in Krishi Vigyan Kendras and Agriculture Colleges. Farmers do not need to pay any kind of fee to get this training because the drone training will be provided absolutely free of cost by the government. 8  Image source : Pmgovtscheme.com The Namo Drone Didi scheme NAMO Drone Didi — an initiative that aims to supply drones to 15,000 women Self Help Groups (SHGs) to rent to farmers for agriculture purposes. This multifaceted scheme effectively addresses the need to modernize our agricultural practices and increase agricultural productivity by placing cutting-edge technology in the hands of rural women. The scheme also opens up new opportunities for the country’s young and dynamic start-ups to enter the emerging field of drone aeronautics, which has huge untapped potential. It is envisaged that the approved initiatives under the scheme will provide sustainable business and livelihood support to 15,000 SHGs and they would be able to earn additional income of at least Rs. One lakh per annum. 9 Central Financial Assistance covering 80% of drone costs up to a maximum of Rs. 8 Lakh will be provided. The government announced the allocation of ₹500 crores for the ‘Drone Didi Scheme. Some of the drones distributed under the Namo Drone Didi scheme were manufactured by Garuda Aerospace, a Chennai-based startup. This collaboration highlights the government’s support for homegrown drone technology and startups in the sector. Union kisan push Pak scheme This scheme aligns with the government's commitment to modernizing agriculture, promoting technological interventions, and empowering farmers with innovative tools for efficient and sustainable farming practices. In a significant move towards enhancing agricultural practices in India, the government has introduced the "Union Kisan Pushpak" scheme, aimed at providing financial support for the acquisition of drones for agricultural purposes. This initiative is set to benefit individual farmers, proprietorships, partnerships, companies, cooperative societies, FPOs/FPCs, and custom hiring centres engaged in agriculture activities across the country. The scheme facilitates the purchase of drones equipped for various agricultural applications such as spraying pesticides, fertilizers, anti-locust operations, and mapping farmlands. It covers both custom hiring activities and individual farmers for their agriculture purposes. A 25% margin of the unit cost, including accessories and equipment, is required. 10 Use of drone in Punjab and Haryana : case study Punjab farmers in Punjab are taking a significant step forward to revolutionise the agriculture sector by adopting drone technology for spraying fertilisers/nutrients like Nano Urea and Nano Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) — a shot in the arm for sustainable and eco-friendly farming. The drone technology not only increases efficiency and cost- effectiveness but also helps save fertilisers and pesticides and minimises human exposure to hazardous chemicals. under the Government of India’s NAMO Drone Didi scheme, IFFCO has provided 100 drones to entrepreneurs in Punjab free of cost. Of these, 93 drones have reached the state and deployed. These agricultural drones, each measuring 3.5 x 3.5 feet, come equipped with a 12-litre water tank and are provided with electric vehicles, generator sets for on-field battery charging and a 100-litre water tank to carry distilled water to the fields. A drone can cover one acre in just seven minutes, bringing efficiency and precision in nutrient application.” The initiative not only aims to empower women but also to promote ‘Jehar Mukat Kheti’ (Poison- Free Agriculture) Expected benefit from drone in farm A drone is expected to cover around 4,000 acres annually, potentially earning entrepreneurs up to Rs 10 lakh per annum. The technology not only reduces labour costs — spraying charges are Rs 200-250 per acre compared to Rs 300 manually — but also ensures comprehensive coverage without damaging crops. 11 Drones cover a spray diameter of four metres and can save 25 % to 50% of pesticides while using up to 90 % less water for spraying than conventional method. This technology is useful for tall crops like sugarcane, maize and orchards, where traditional spraying methods. Women operating drone in the agriculture field in Punjab (Image courtesy : Indian Express) Haryana Drone are now the machines of choice for farmers in Haryana who are using them for spraying liquid fertilisers and pesticides to undertake surveys to check for any crop damage. The Haryana government is keen to invest in drone they propose the subsidy 40-50% for farmers who want to buy drone for their agriculture field. 12 In the state, 8.87 lakh farmers have been registered for the Kharif crop on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal till August 2023-24. 60.40 lakh acres of land in the state have been registered on the portal. A target has been set to spray nano urea through drones on one lakh acres in the entire state. the farmer will have to pay a fee of Rs 100 per acre for spraying with drones. For example, if a farmer wants to spray five acres, he will have to pay a fee of Rs 500. The drone is being provided free of cost by the Agriculture Department. In Haryana 5,000 women will be given drone training, mainly for use in agriculture sector. In the first phase, 500 self-help groups have been selected and drone training will be given to 10 women in each group. This is done under the lakhpati didi scheme. Free drone pilot training program The Haryana government has launched a program to provide free drone piloting instruction to the state's youth and farmers, towards embracing technological improvements in agriculture. This program aims to equip individuals with the necessary skills to operate drones effectively, thus facilitating enhanced efficiency and productivity in agricultural practices. The Haryana government is offering free training exclusively to members of Cooperative Housing Societies/Farmer Producer Organizations (CHC/FPO) falling within the age group of 18 to 45 years. 13 By providing accessible training opportunities and fostering the adoption of drone technology in agriculture, the Haryana government's initiative holds the potential to revolutionize farming practices and contribute to the state's agricultural growth. Nisha solanaki ,haryana’s 1st drone certified pilot ( Image courtesy : The better India) Nisha Solanki helps farmer to use of drone in spraying pesticides in agriculture field she demonstrate the farmer use of drone in the field. 14 Benefit and Challenges in use of drone in Indian Agriculture Benefit 1. Improve efficiency in agriculture The use of drone in an agriculture improve overall efficiency by reducing the time in spraying it takes faction of time to spray large area and with the help of drone farmer get bird’s eye views to monitor their crop this leads to detect any issues in crops field.Increased Efficiency: Precision agriculture practices using drones have shown to increase crop yield by up to 20% in some cases 2. enhance productivity Drones can be used to gather data on crop health, allowing farmers to identify areas that require attention. By addressing these issues, farmers can improve their crop yields and increase their profits. 3. reduce the input cost Drones can help to reduce costs by identifying areas of the farm that require attention, reducing the need for manual labour and reducing the use of pesticides and other chemicals. 4. environment sustainable As drones are capable of spraying chemicals at target locations, they can protect farmers and operators from dangerous chemicals. This helps to save the environment 5. Solve to the problem of labour shortage As a traditional method requires many labourers to spray pesticides, most of the time labour is not available on time. Drone provides a safe and fast service for spraying. 15 Challenges Apprehensive of loss of employment In rural area most of the people earn livelihood from working in agriculture but introducing drone might lead to reduction of manual labour and people have this fear they lost their job. Drone technology is more expensive The initial cost of drone is quite high and somewhere unaffordable for small farmer, so its difficult for many farmers to invest in it. Lack of knowledge and training As the drone technology is new and is in the development phase, Farmers may not have the knowledge or training necessary to operate drones effectively. This can make it difficult for them to adopt this technology, as they may not be confident in their ability to use it. Weather Dependency Drones are sensitive to adverse weather conditions, such as strong winds, rain, or extreme temperatures, which can impact their flight stability and safety. Unfavourable weather can disrupt planned drone flights, affecting data collection schedules. Internet Connectivity and Infrastructure Drone requires a reliable internet connection to broadcast data and get real-time updates. However, many rural areas, where agriculture is headed, lacks strong internet infrastructure, hinders the spontaneous communication between drones and farmers. 16 Conclusion and way forward The use of drone technology is not new to the world but it is recent phenomena. It emerged as game changer in many fields like civic and military purpose. When we use drone in agriculture it also can categorise as smart technology in concept of smart farming. Indian agriculture which is still labour intensive and use traditional method of farming the introduction of drone in vital step in the overall development of the agriculture sector, it enables the high efficiency and productivity and reduced the wastage of pesticides with the help of spraying machine in drone. We can say use of drone in farms means the complete monitor on crops. Currently India is growing in this field, many private companies also offers wide range of drone machine for different agriculture practices also many startups have started. Despite having many challenges the government also took decisive steps to boost the use of drone many subsidies provided by government, the policy like drone Didi is not only raising the utility of drone but also empowering the women to be self- independent even in the field of technology. Under the scheme more than 1500 women of SHGs will be trained how to use drone. Government also in its budget gave the core preference for drone technology in agriculture sector. The state government participation in also crucial in this context as case study presented above how in Haryana and Punjab emerging as the main state which promoting drone. The effective utilisation of drone in Indian agriculture can be transformative steps which boost the overall efficiency and productivity that further leads to contribute the overall GDP of the country. Observing overall growth in drone technology in India can be indeed categorise as ‘’Drone revolution’’. 17 References India Agriculture Drones Market Size & Outlook, 2023-2030. (n.d.). Retrieved from HORIZON Grand view research: www.grandviewresearch.com/horizon/outlook/agriculture-drones- market/india Satya Prakash, M. K. (July 2022). Applications of Drones in Agriculture: Status and Scope. Delhi: Royal Offset Printers. Sharma, A. ( 2024, may 9). India’s agriculture soars with drone revolution. Retrieved from India Business & Trade: https://www.indiabusinesstrade.in/blogs/indias-agriculture-soars-with- drone-revolution/ What is Kisan Drone? Uses, Benefits, Price, Subsidy, Govt. Scheme. ( 2023, december 18). Retrieved from IOTECH: https://iotechworld.com/what-is-kisan-drone-uses-benefits-price-subsidy- govt-scheme/ PIB Press Release: English rendering of PM's speech during witnessing flight of 100 kisan Drones by Garuda Aerospace Dated 19 Feb 2022 18