Agriculture in India accounts for a quarter of the Indian economy and provides employment for 60 percent of the labour force. Traditionally satellites were employed for about a decade to inspect large croplands and forestry.

With advanced sensors, high-tech cameras and imaging capabilities, Indian farmers can now find new ways to increase yields and reduce damage to their crops. Unlike satellites, drones can work in any weather conditions and can take pictures just 400ft from the ground, thereby resulting in better quality images. From the elevation to plant health, drones help to analyze and provide accurate data to help manage crops all year round. Given small land holdings, affordable solutions offered as a service (vs capital investment) are likely to succeed with Indian farmers.

Tafe, NESAC, Syngenta, The Maharashtra State Government and many private agriculturists have already started investing in drone services. We expect drone services to penetrate Indian agriculture at a rapid pace in the coming 3 to 5 years.