Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that drone technology is going to play a major role in empowering farmers and modernize their lives. He inaugurated India’s biggest Drone Festival – Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022 on Friday.
He also interacted with Kisan drone pilots, witnessed open-air drone demonstrations and interacted with startups in the drone exhibition centre. He said that the energy and enthusiasm in the drone sector are visible and indicate India’s strength and desire to leapfrog into a leading position.
“The sector shows great possibilities of a major sector for employment generation”, he added. He also said that measures taken to help agriculture sectors have ensured that technology is no longer intimidating for the farmers.
The Prime Minister recalled that in earlier times, technology and its inventions were considered to be meant for the elite class. Today we are making technology available to the masses first, he said. Till a few months back, there were a lot of restrictions on drones. We have removed most of the restrictions in a very short time. We are also moving towards creating a strong drone manufacturing ecosystem in India through schemes like PLI.
“When technology goes to the masses, possibilities of its use also increase accordingly”, he added. Modi highlighted the importance of drone technology in the fields of defence, disaster management, agriculture, tourism, film and entertainment. He said that the use of this technology is bound to increase in the coming days.
The Prime Minister also narrated the use of drones in his official decision making through examples of PRAGATI reviews and Kedarnath projects. He cited PM Swamitva Yojana as an example of how drone technology is becoming the basis of a major revolution.
Under this scheme, for the first time, every property in the villages of the country is being digitally mapped and digital property cards are being given to the people. “Promotion of drone technology is another medium of advancing our commitment to good governance and ease of living. In the form of drones, we have got a smart tool that is going to be part and parcel of common people’s lives”, he said.