DGCA approves Garuda Aerospace as a remote pilot training organisation

• ByStartupStory     |    September 30, 2022

In order to properly employ drones for agricultural purposes, Garuda Aerospace, which recently concluded its $30 million Series A investment at a valuation of $250 million, plans to train and educate 1 lakh children throughout 755 districts.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted the appropriate licences to Garuda Aerospace, one of the recipients on the list of the Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) for drones beneficiaries, making it the country’s 31st Remote Pilot Training Organization (RPTO).

The business has been a leader in the sector, using Agri Kisan Drones throughout the nation to track and evaluate the results of youth training. In order to further strengthen India’s agri economy, Garuda Aerospace, which recently concluded its $30 million Series A round at a valuation of $250 million, plans to train and retrain one lakh youngsters across 755 districts in the right usage of drones for agricultural purposes.

The Made in India Kisan Drones company, which is based in Tamil Nadu, has secured the first drone loan from the Agri Infra Fund, which will help farmers buy drones. Currently, it operates a fleet of 400 drones and employs over 500 skilled pilots who are dispersed throughout 26 locations.

Garuda Aerospace, however, intends to produce at least one lakh Kisan Drones by 2024 in order to meet the growing demand for agri drones and give Indian youth the chance to work while earning an average salary of roughly Rs 1 lakh per month.

It should be noted that the Agri Kisan Drone can arrange services like a precision spray of pesticides and fertilisers, crop health monitoring, surveillance, industrial inspection, yield measurement, and crop loss mitigation, and is equipped with sensors, cameras, and sprayers. It also helps increase the productivity of food crops and reduces crop loss and farmers’ exposure to harmful chemicals.

The DGCA’s certification, according to Garuda Aerospace’s CEO and Founder Agnishwar Jayaprakash, is empowering since it enables the business to further stake out its position as the nation’s leading drone technology authority.

“We have long thought that the agri economy in India has great potential that has yet to be realised. With this clearance, we are certain that we will be able to use our skill set and contribute significantly to the sector’s growth,” he said.

Additionally, he added: “We are confident in developing new job prospects as we start educating, preparing, and training Indian young for various applications.”It should be mentioned that Garuda Aerospace has successfully mapped 7,000 villages in Uttar Pradesh as part of the Svamitva Scheme. It received the tender award in September 2021 from the nodal organisation, Survey of India.

The tender gave the business permission to use drones for extensive mapping and digitization of land records in rural areas. Landowners and farmers will receive precise digital land certificates and a distinctive ID as a result, enabling them to obtain a precise layout with all necessary information.

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