Magellanic Cloud working to help formulate policies on training in agriculture drones

Bombay Stock Exchange-listed Magellanic Cloud is working with various departments in the Ministry of Agriculture in formulating policies on training in agriculture drones, including repairs and maintenance, says Joseph Sudheer Reddy Thumma, CEO of Magellanic Cloud.

“Earlier there were problems with the training schedules. For example, repairs and maintenance. We are trying to create an entire infrastructure in every taluka and State so that the usage is increased. Even though the government has been pushing, the policy preparation was not there,” said Thumma in an online interaction with businessline. 

Joseph Sudheer Reddy Thumma, CEO of Magellanic Cloud

The Centre wants the policy preparation to be done and wants the companies to train people in the repairs and maintenance of drones since it subsidises drone purchases. “The entire ecosystem is getting formed now,” he said.

More uses

Though drones are being considered for spraying of fertilizers and pesticides, there could be a lot more use in the agriculture sector. “In Israel, they use drones to cultivate in the desert and increase the yield. That is the kind of mechanism that will help carrying forward the revolution,” said the CEO of Magellanic Cloud, which has four other entities.

The entities are JNIT Technologies, Motivity Labs, Scandron and Ivis, an e-surveillance firm that was merged with the parent company earlier this month. Scandron produces drones and provides drone-based services. 

Magellanic Cloud will be the technology partner on the agriculture side, doing various analyses on crops using drones. It will guide in achieving higher yield, improving the crops’ shelf-life and what crops to cultivate in areas where water availability is less. It could also indicate the demand-supply scenario. “We are trying to get all kinds of these things. Magellanic Cloud and its subsidiary Scandron will be the first ones to do these analyses and implement the technology,” Thumma said.

Tie-up with Bala Vikasa

The Hyderabad-based company has computer vision algorithms and experiences from its e-surveillance firm to rely on technology to provide the “right direction to the farming community and agriculture departments”, he said.   

Magellanic Cloud is also working with the National Bank for Rural and Agricultural Development (Nabard) and cooperative societies, particularly in setting up storage facilities or transforming them.  

The company has tied up with Hyderabad-based Bala Vikasa, a community-driven organisation, to start drone entrepreneurship. 

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Magellanic Cloud will help individuals either buy drones at subsidised rates or lease them for farm operations. “Bala Vikasa is serving in over 500 villages. It is involved in providing drinking water and has created Mahila Mandals (women groups). We have tied up with them to provide entrepreneurship training,” said Thumma, adding that the company has trained a batch of 20 such people so far. 

Pilots training

Magellanic Cloud is waiting to get the licence to produce drones. Once it receives the permit, it will supply to these training entrepreneurs. “Each will have multiple drones — either 5 or 10. They can buy, rent or lease them. They should be able to operate and create an ecosystem,” he said. 

Once the entrepreneurs get their drones, they will need drone pilots.  “Magellanic Cloud will train these pilots and we have applied for a remote pilot training organisation (RPTO) licence for this. We will be giving the drone operators enough material or training for the entrepreneurs to succeed,” said the company’s CEO. 

In addition, the company is looking at social and welfare organisations for tying up on entrepreneurship training. It is also looking at farmer-producer organisations (FPOs). “Tying up with Bala Vikasa has associated us with the FPOs as well,” Thumma said.

Magellanic Cloud has roped in banks, including private ones to provide loans. However, he ruled out setting up separate facilities for training as it would be more economical for the company as well as the trainees.  

Drones production

Magellanic Cloud is set to get the licence to produce agricultural drones soon and the company will try out Internet of Things-based products and solutions through them. It has already got DGCA licence to produce logistics drones and has supplied 25 such drones to a private firm. 

The drones will be produced at its Bengaluru facility. “Apart from regular spraying, we will try to derive details of the harvest, yield potential or any danger the crop may face in between, he said. 

The company has helped fertilizer companies get survey maps and details of pests on crops and how to prevent them.  Thumma said schemes such as Didi Drones Yojana are indications of good prospects in the agriculture sector. 

On funding, he said the company was good with it, getting equity participation through different mechanisms including qualified institutional placements or preferential allotments, besides support from banks.