Weekly news wrap-up on the emerging drone ecosystem in India – 17012023

17/01/2023

Our weekly news wrap-up on the emerging drone ecosystem in India will give you an insight into the training, skill development, capacity building, technology and industry updates. Apart from keeping you updated, the news snippets from the drone ecosystem could help you generate leads and opportunities to develop your business in the sector.

Here we go with the top headlines of the week from the drone ecosystem in India

Updates from the drone ecosystem in India

With Rallis India, Garuda Aerospace has signed an MOU to deliver pesticides and crop nutrients for a pilot demonstration and drone-assisted pesticide spraying on fields, primarily in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
The Annamalai University of Tamil Nadu will soon begin teaching free drone pilot training to SC and ST youth, helping them in obtaining employment opportunities.
DroneAcharya Aerial Innovations Limited is initiating operations in Thailand and signed an MOU with the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), will pave the path for the company to enter the Southeast Asian market.
Pierce Aerospace and Skye Air Mobility announced a collaboration in Las Vegas, N to integrate Pierce Aerospace’s Flight Portal ID UAS Technologies as an integrated Remote ID solution with Skye Air Mobility’s drone delivery platforms and Skye UTM beginning in 2023.
IG Drones developed India’s first 5G drone ‘Skyhawk’ capable of vertical take-off and landing VTOL that can be used in defence and medical applications among other sectors.
The trial of using drones to deliver medicines and vaccines in a timely manner was successfully completed by the Uttarakhand Health Department.
Garuda Aerospace has announced a partnership with the Union Bank of India, and about 150 Garuda Agri Kisan drones have been approved for drone loans under the Kisan Pushpak Scheme.
Union Bank signed an MOU with Dhaksha Unmanned Systems for Kisan Drone Finance, will assist farmers in utilizing Kisan drones by providing hassle-free finance facilities for purchasing Kisan drones.

Also read: Weekly news wrap-up on the emerging drone ecosystem in India – 10012023 https://dronefluence.com/weekly-news-wrap-up-on-the-emerging-drone-ecosystem-in-india-10012023/

*IMPORTANT:

The news snippets are curated and adapted from various sources with the sole objective of keeping our readers updated about the evolving drone industry in India.

If any source has objections or other concerns, please write to us at contact@dronefluence.com, giving valid reasons, and we will remove the link to your content.

List of DGCA-approved drone training organisations in India – Part 1

S. Divya Sree

11/01/2023

Did you know in India the drone training and education service market was valued at 12 million dollars in 2021, an increase compared to 2020? The drone sector is forecasted to grow to about 349 million dollars in 2030. The overall drone service market in India was expected to reach over four billion dollars in 2030, as per the report given by Statista Research Department.

In India, drones and drone technology have been widely adopted in various industries. With an aim to make India a global drone hub by 2030, the government has taken several initiatives and is encouraging many organisations and start-ups in this domain to strengthen the emerging drone ecosystem in India.

There are 46 drone training organisations authorised by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India that are listed on the Digital Sky website. In this article, we are going to present information on 7 of the drone training organisations that represent different parts of India.

These will be a series of articles where we aim to give you information on all the training organisations in consecutive articles.

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the regulatory authority for operating drones in India, and it is important to get oneself trained by a DGCA-approved training organisation. A platform called “DigitalSky” has been launched by the DGCA to perform these regulatory activities.

List of DGCA-approved drone training organisations in India – Part 1

1. Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU)

Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University is a government-owned autonomous organisation headquartered in Andhra Pradesh, India. The organisation works hard to enhance the lives of farmers and consumers by developing high-yielding varieties, various agricultural production and protection technologies, etc.

Additionally, it now has a new experience in the use of drones and artificial intelligence in agriculture. To advance drones and artificial intelligence applications in agriculture towards smart and precision farming, a specific initiative called the Center for APSARA (A.P. Sensors and Smart Applications Research in Agriculture) was launched in 2020–21 at ANGRAU.

Courses ANGRAU provides:

Conventional Remote Pilot Course (CRPC)
Agricultural Remote Pilot Course (ARPC)

2. DroneAcharya Aerial Innovations Pvt. Ltd.

DroneAcharya Aerial Innovations Limited, founded in 2017, in Maharashtra, offers a high-end ecosystem of drone solutions for multi-sensor drone surveys, data processing using reliable workstations with high configurations, drone pilot training, and specialised GIS training.

DroneAcharya provides drone solutions in:

Drone survey
Data processing
Drone pilot training
Manufacturing drones

3. Drone Destination Pvt. Ltd.

Drone Destination aims to create an entire drone ecosystem centred on drone production, accredited training, services, insurance, leasing, and finance. The company has its headquarters in New Delhi and is supported by an experienced team of aviation and drone experts who collectively have more than 335 years of experience.

With the help of Drone Destination, new economic hubs will be created, many jobs will be created, and a strong “Make in India” presence will be cemented in the booming UAV industry.

Services Drone Destination offers:

Survey and mapping
Inspection
Aerial Cinematography
Drone pilot training

4. Garuda Aerospace Private Limited

Garuda Aerospace seeks to create inexpensive drone solutions. With a $250 million market worth, Garuda is the best commercial UAV design, development, and service company in India. Awarded the NRDF Award for Bravery for assisting Indian forces during the Uttarakhand Glacier catastrophe, the company, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, has garnered recognition on a national and worldwide scale in the drone industry.

Services Garuda Aerospace offers:

Agri drones
Mapping drones
Surveillance services
Drone pilot training

5. Multiplex Drone Private Limited

Multiplex Group of Companies, which has a history in agriculture going back four decades and includes Multiplex Drone Private Limited as a subsidiary, is situated in Bengaluru.

Aerial crop spraying solutions for the farmer community served as the company’s mission statement when it was founded. Farmers’ unique agricultural needs are met by their innovative drone solutions.

Services Multiplex Drone Private Limited offers:

Spraying
Build customized drones
Drone pilot training

6. Marut DroneTech Private Limited

India’s top drone technology company, Marut Drones from Telangana, creates effective solutions with a group of talented, experienced, and talented individuals. They introduced data analytics, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to the growing drone sector in India, among many other firsts.

Services Marut DroneTech Private Limited offers:

Spraying in agriculture
Medical delivery
Seed planting
Mosquito eradication
Drone pilot training

7. Pioneer Flying Academy Pvt. Ltd.

Pioneer Flying Academy trains aspiring pilots for the Commercial Pilot’s License (CPL) and Private Pilot’s License (PPL) by the curriculum and standards established by the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization. Pioneer Flying Academy is approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and the Government of India (ICAO).

Pioneer Flying Academy Pvt. Ltd. provides:

Flying training for a private pilot’s licence (PPL)
Commercial pilot’s licence (CPL)

Also read: How drone technology can transform agriculture in India https://dronefluence.com/how-drone-technology-can-transform-agriculture-in-india/

With industries increasing the use of drone and the push from the government has increased the demand for the drone pilots and the need for skilled professionals in the emerging drone sector.

If you want to know more information on other DGCA approved drone training organisations, you can visit DigitalSky website.

How drone technology can transform agriculture in India

S. Divya Sree

11/01/2023

“India is very rich in agriculture sector, and drones can create an impact to help farmers in bringing back the farming sector into the green revolution”, says Mr. Ram Kumar, Vice President of Government Affairs and Agriculture Operations, Garuda Aerospace Pvt. Ltd, while talking about how drone technology can transform agriculture in India.

To learn and understand how drones and drone technology are transforming agriculture in India, scope for employment and entrepreneurship, and the need for skill development in the drone sector, we conversed with Mr. Ram Kumar, Vice President of govt affairs and agriculture operations, Garuda Aerospace Pvt Ltd.

Below are a few excerpts from our conversation. You can watch the full video interview on our YouTube channel.

Overcoming the ill effects of manual spraying on farms through drones

“Farmers who use hand sprayers in the field are required to breathe in and out the same chemicals they are spraying. Additionally, because they have to walk on the crop, there are chances of major crop damage. Apart from this, there are many more drawbacks, making it necessary to have drones that will address these issues. For example, drones would take 7-8 minutes to complete a task which otherwise a manual worker would take three to four hours to complete. As a result, pesticides and fertilizers usage will be reduced, saving 75% of water consumption. This benefits the farmers immensely. Therefore, bringing in drones and creating employment opportunities for local entrepreneurs will help in reviving the green revolution and transforming the agriculture in India.”

Educating and convincing farmers about drone technology

While talking about educating and convincing farmers to use drones, Mr. Ram Kumar said, “It can be difficult to persuade a farmer to use this type of technology that can save money on pesticide distribution while also using less water. Also, that drones work in a similar manner to that of hand sprayers or sprays from tractors that have been used for many years.

Therefore, when we tell them directly that doing so saves money, they are not in a position to grasp it until they see the outcome. We collaborated with 350 KVK (Krishi Vidya Kendra), which is run by senior scientists, principal scientists, and entomologists, and explained to them what a drone is, what it can do, and how to fly one. As a result, we educated farmers and gave them a demonstration session.”

AIF loan scheme for purchasing drones

The government has now come up with a new scheme called as the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF).

“AIF scheme has less interest compared to the direct loan option, and the government gives 3% subsidies through the AIF. The interest rate is roughly less than 6%, which is ideal for farmers to utilize the technology and allows them to earn at least Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh each day by spraying about 10 acres”, said Mr. Ram Kumar.

Launching an app for using drones services in agriculture

“We, at Garuda Aerospace, are also developing an application called “G1”, which is similar to an Ola or Uber application. If any farmer in any village wants to use chemical spray for their crops, possibly even for half an acre or 500 acres, they can give all the details, including where they are, what crops they want to spray, what season of the year it is, what medicines they want to spray, and everything else. They can do this through our application, which will then let a dealer, distributor, or entrepreneur know the details and requirements by a farmer. In addition to this, we are also working with numerous entomologists to determine the dosage of chemicals and pesticides to be used. No one is aware of the dosage or what dosage to use. If you buy any chemical or pesticide, the dosage will be mentioned in terms of the quantity required.”

Scope for employment, entrepreneurship, and plans for education and training

While talking about the scope for employment, entrepreneurship and training in drones, Mr. Ram Kumar expressed that “Garuda Aerospace has 30 different types of drone models; each drone is capable of performing minimum of three to four different operations. So, the job requirement is very large. In India we have 6.3 lakh villages, so our aim is to have at least 6.3 lakh drones in the next few years that will be able to provide job opportunities for 6.3 lakh pilots. Village entrepreneurs are also awarded some subsidies. So we are creating employment opportunities for all the village entrepreneurs, not only by giving them training but also by educating them with the right loan options on these schemes, which are available in NSDC, and also by helping them bring their revenue model.”

Also read: Meet one of the first-generation women drone pilots from Hyderabad https://dronefluence.com/meet-one-of-the-first-generation-women-drone-pilots-from-hyderabad/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=drone2earth_dec_2022_drone_technology_and_its_applications_training_and_skill_development_in_drones_and_more&utm_term=2022-12-21

Compliance with the DGCA for all Remote Pilot Training and Certification

“Garuda Aerospace is a DGCA-approved RPTO, and we abide by all rules and regulations prescribed by them. Along with the training, we also advice the trainee remote pilots on where to fly and where not to fly drones. The drone operator should be licenced before operating them. The candidates must be at least 18 years old and class 10 graduates as per DGCA guidelines”, said Mr. Ram Kumar.

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