Garuda Aerospace's agri drone facility launched in Chennai
CHENNAI: Kamlesh Paswan, Union Minister of State for Rural Development, formally inaugurated the 35,000 sqft Agri-Drone Indigenisation Facility of Garuda Aerospace in Chennai on Thursday.
The facility will serve as a centre for design, manufacturing, and testing of advanced unmanned aerial systems (UAS). It will expand Garuda's existing operations and signal the government's growing emphasis on fostering domestic innovation and self-reliance in precision agriculture technologies.
The event, held in partnership with the Bharat Drone Association, also saw the launch of several initiatives intended to strengthen India's drone skills ecosystem. Chief among them was the introduction of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)-approved 'Train the Trainer' programme, which is an intensive capacity-building initiative aimed at certifying instructors in drone operation, safety, maintenance, and regulatory compliance.
In a symbolic demonstration of grassroots engagement and inclusivity, women drone pilots, 'Drone Didis', performed live demonstration on using drones for farming operations. The initiative is part of a government-backed programme to train rural women in drone handling. Speaking on the occasion, Paswan said the 'Drone Didi' scheme is a game-changer as it empowers rural women to become certified drone pilots, helping farmers spray fertilizers and monitor crops more efficiently.
He said 15,000 women have been trained and the aim is to increase that count to one lakh by 2026. Paswan also unveiled the plan to rollout 300 Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in drone research and development. These centres are expected to become focal points for innovation, training, and public-private collaboration.
Agnishwar Jayaprakash, founder and CEO of Garuda Aerospace, said the facility will manufacture 33 different parts and seven critical subsystems. 'This facility will play a vital role in reducing dependency on imports and boosting the domestic drone manufacturing ecosystem,' he added.
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