Drone start-up Garuda Aerospace granted approval for the subsidy of the Tamil Nadu Government’s Agricultural Mechanisation Scheme. Garuda Aerospace is one of the two companies to have received this approval. 

The scheme was introduced by the Tamil Nadu Government to address labour shortages in agriculture and enhance crop production capabilities. As per the scheme, drones are subsidised for pesticide spraying and pest and disease monitoring. 

Farmers who acquire subsidised drones can opt for drone pilot training and licensing or alternatively hire licensed pilots. Those with bank loans for Garuda Aerospace Agri drones are also entitled to a 3 per cent interest subsidy under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. 

Agnishwar Jayaprakash, founder and CEO of Garuda Aerospace, said, " The subsidy granted under the Agricultural Mechanization Scheme will enable higher adoption of technology and enhance crop production. We are grateful for this scheme and the subsidy and continue to keep our commitment up to supporting and enabling farmers to leverage technology and adopt modern agriculture practices.”

Drone technology is making a big impact in farming by being used to spray fertilisers and pesticides, which saves farmers both time and money in a more even and consistent fashion. Plus, they can cover larger areas of farmland all at once. The spraying is much more even and consistent now. 

Garuda Aerospace has conducted a Drone Yatra across various states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Punjab, West Bengal, Goa and Bihar to revolutionise the landscape of agriculture in India with Kisan Drones. The company has earned dual approvals from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for both manufacturing and training, demonstrating its commitment to safety and compliance. 

The start-up claims to be the first drone company to secure a loan under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF DRONE LOAN) and was the first to receive a subsidy in Maharashtra. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the shareholder and brand ambassador in Garuda Aerospace. 

Founded in 2015, the company has over 400 drones and 500 pilots operating in 84 cities. Garuda Aerospace manufactures 30 types of drones and offers 50 types of services to more than 750 clients, including TATA, Godrej, Adani, Reliance, Swiggy, Flipkart, Delhivery, LandT, Survey of India, SAIL, NTPC, IOCL, Smart cities, Intel, Amazon, Wipro, IISC, MIT Boston, NHAI.