Drone didis are India's 'sky warriors', ushering new revolution in agriculture: Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi in Mann Ki Baat

Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi highlighted the increasing use of drones by women in Indian agriculture, referring to them as "Drone Didi" and "sky warriors." These women are bringing significant changes to agricultural practices. Agriculture is vital to India's economy, providing livelihood for 8% of families and ensuring food security for 1.3 billion people in the world's second most populous state. Indian agriculture is also a key component of the global food supply chain. India aspires to be the leader of Industry Revolution 4.0. It has set the target of being a major global hub for drones by 2030. The Ministry of Civil Aviation identified five key pillars to achieve this: Ease of Doing Business (Drone Rules 2021), financial incentives (PLI scheme), government as a market maker (procurement by the government), export liberalisation, and domestic industry promotion (Import prohibition). After the drone regulations, the ministry issued the drone airspace map and a PLI scheme in September 2021 and the UAS Traffic Management (UTM) policy framework in October 2021. The map opened nearly 90% of Indian airspace as a green zone for drones flying up to 400 feet.
With the global drone market projected to reach Rs. 4,58,946 crore (US$ 54 billion) by 2025, India stands to capture a substantial share, potentially reaching Rs. 35,696 crore (US$ 4.2 billion) and expanding to Rs. 195,477 crore (US$ 23 billion) by 2030, according to the EY - FICCI report "Making India the drone hub of the world." To achieve this target, the government needs to overcome existing challenges. The biggest challenge is the lack of a component ecosystem for drones, which causes domestic manufacturers to depend on imported materials. The government's import ban aimed at promoting indigenous drone manufacturing excluded components from the restriction.

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