Page 30 - NIS English, December 16-31,2022

Cover Story 2022: Year of Willpower

RAPID PROGRESS Be it cities or remote villages in rural

TOWARDS areas, farm fields or playgrounds,
defence-related work or disaster
SELF-RELIANCE IN going to increase everywhere. We are
management, the use of drones is

going to see more use of drones in
THE DRONE SECTOR the coming days than what is being
used now."
India was completely reliant on imports
of drones until recently, but it is now fast - Narendra Modi,
approaching self-sufficiency. Furthermore, Prime Minister
the government has launched a PLI scheme
for the drone industry, which has received
a lot of attention. In India, a new ecosystem
of drone start-ups is also taking shape.
Currently, more than 200 drone start-ups
are active in the country. Their number will
soon reach the thousands. This will also
result in the creation of thousands of new job
opportunities. Drones are now being used for
a variety of purposes not only in cities, but
also in villages and remote tribal, hilly, and
inaccessible areas. India is now moving fast
towards becoming a "drone hub" by 2030.
On August 26, 2021, the central government
announced the new drone policy. The
Ministry of Aviation has now made some
changes to the rules for operating drones
in accordance with these rules. Drone
coverage has been increased from 300 kg
to 500 kg under the Drone Rules 2021.
New drone regulations are assisting start-
ups as well as youth working in this sector
and opening new doors of opportunity for
business.
Under the PM Swamitva Yojana, for the first
time, digital mapping of land and houses in
villages across the country is being done
using drone technology, and accounts are
being prepared.
During Covid in India, the vaccine was
delivered by drone to people in remote drones to inspect the progress.
areas, and it was also used to spray urea for On the occasion of the 2022 Beating Retreat,
farmers. the sky was illuminated for 10 minutes by 1,000
Drones are being used to spray medicines drones, making India the fourth country in the
in fields in many places. Kisan Drone marks world to host such an event.
the start of a new era of revolution in this In the future, farmers will be able to send fresh
field. Drones have been used to drop seeds vegetables, fruits, and flowers from their fields to
from above in order to grow trees in forests. market using high-capacity drones. Fresh fish can
When the reconstruction work in Kedarnath be delivered directly to the market from the pond,
began, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used river, or sea.
28 New India Samachar December 16-31, 2022