What is the current global and Indian status of drone adoption in agriculture, and what lessons can be drawn from leading countries in drone-based farming?
Globally, agricultural drone adoption is accelerating, with over 300,000 drones deployed across 100+ countries, treating 500 million hectares of farmland. Leading nations like China, the USA, and Brazil have embraced drones for tasks ranging from precision spraying to crop monitoring, supported by progressive regulations and robust manufacturing ecosystems. In India, drone usage is expanding rapidly, backed by initiatives like Drone Didi, PLI schemes, and subsidies for nano-nutrient spraying. However, adoption is still nascent due to fragmented landholdings and limited technical capacity. Key lessons from global leaders include the importance of policy liberalization, training programs, and affordable, scalable technology to democratize drone access and unlock their full potential in sustainable farming
Globally, countries like the U.S., Japan, and China have widely adopted agricultural drones for crop spraying, monitoring, and precision farming, while in India adoption is accelerating through government-backed subsidy schemes, FPO-driven rental models, and startup innovations, and the key lesson is that scaling requires strong policy support, affordable service models, and localized training to overcome small landholding and cost barriers.
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