India aims to become a global drone hub by 2030, supported by liberalised regulations and incentives. Recent progress includes increased training organisations, remote pilot certificates, registered drones, and approved drone models, according to Economic Survey 2023-24. Drone is a new segment in the aviation sector, the survey said.

Drones offer vast benefits across sectors like agriculture, healthcare, disaster relief, surveillance, and defence. The Government introduced liberalised drone rules in 2021. Other measures include publishing drone airspace maps, implementing a PLI scheme, and introducing a drone certification scheme.

For example, with the view to building knowledge and capacity among farmers, demonstrations to administer precise fertiliser application were carried out with more than 1.79 Lakh drones across several states.

Key progress includes the establishment of 109 training organisations and the issuance of 10,603 remote pilot certificates, 22,943 unique identification numbers for registered drones, and 67 DGCA-approved Type-Certificate for drone models.

India’s agricultural sector is undergoing a significant transformation with the integration of digital technologies. The Digital Agriculture Mission 2021–2025 aims to modernise agriculture through advanced technologies like AI, remote sensing and drones, the report said.

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