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| Edited By: DNA Web Team |Source: DNA Web Desk |Updated: Feb 01, 2022, 06:58 PM IST
As the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government will promote startups to facilitate ‘Drone Shakti’ with “drone as a service”.
This push has come about after the liberalising of the Drone Rule in 2021.
The introduction of the ‘Drone Shakti’ programme is being welcomed with great enthusiasm by the whole drone industry. This initiative is aimed at encouraging faster adoption of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and bringing the ace technology to India’s farmlands.
Post this initiative, India will see the use of large, unmanned aircraft systems weighing more than 150 kilograms in various sectors of the economy.
In her Budget Speech 2022-23, Sitharaman said Kisan drones for crop assessment, land records and spraying of insecticides are expected to drive a wave of technology in the agriculture sector. "ECLGS scheme to be extended till March 2023 and guarantee cover expanded by Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh crore," she said.
Besides being used in the agriculture sector, drones are also being used in surveillance systems for Railway Security.
Earlier, the country has used drones to deliver Covid-19 vaccines. They are also being used for surveillance of Covid-19 hotspots and containment zones.
In August 2021, Centre announced its new drone policy which was aimed at encouraging super-normal growth while balancing safety and security considerations.
These new rules were referred as a ‘landmark moment’ by PM Narendra Modi. "The new drone rules usher in a landmark moment for this sector in India. The rules are based on the premise of trust and self-certification. Approvals, compliance requirements and entry barriers have been significantly reduced”, he said.
As a part of these new rules, the government uplifted many approvals. These include unique prototype identification number, certificate of manufacturing and airworthiness and unique authorisation number and more.
