2 Lakh Drone Udyamis: India's Ambitious Rural Tech Mission

AVPL International has partnered with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) under the National Entrepreneurs Empowerment Drive (NEED) to launch an ambitious mission. The goal is to establish 200,000 Drone Udyamis across India, operating under the "1 Panchayat - 1 Drone Udyami" initiative. This unprecedented collaboration invites all drone industry stakeholders, including competitors, to unite in building the necessary infrastructure for sustainable rural drone entrepreneurs. Dr. Deep Sihag Sisai, Founder of AVPL International, emphasized the collaborative spirit required to achieve this large-scale objective, aiming to make India a global drone hub.

The NEED initiative transforms skilled youth into entrepreneurs by providing technical training, business planning, and market linkages. Each Drone Udyami will operate a Panchayat-level Drone and Rural Technology Service Centre, offering diverse services such as agriculture spraying, crop monitoring, surveying, and infrastructure inspection. This shared-service model is particularly suited for India's fragmented landholdings, allowing a single Drone Udyami to serve multiple farmers.

AVPL International projects an integrated market opportunity of ₹1.85 lakh crore. This includes ₹25,000 crore for agriculture drone kits, ₹60,000 crore for the annual Drone-as-a-Service market, and ₹1,00,000 crore for the annual agri-input business. The potential market extends to batteries, spare parts, software, AI, and exports. Furthermore, AVPL International has established Drone City Haryana, a comprehensive 11.5-acre campus for drone manufacturing, research, and training, representing an ₹80 crore investment.