Mumbai, March 26 (IANS) India’s commercial drone industry had a market size of $1.88 billion (Rs 17,000 crore) in FY26, which is expected to grow at a compounded 17.98 per cent rate during FY25–29, a report showed on Thursday.

Globally, the US leads the commercial drone industry, followed by China, with India currently ranked seventh, according to a research report by B2K Analytics.

As per the report, drones can cut the cost of agrochemical spraying by nearly 80 per cent compared with manual spraying.

A study analysed small and medium-sized drones costing Rs 6.4–7.1 lakh with a maximum operational life of three years versus annual manual labour costs of about Rs 1.7 lakh.

“Despite the higher upfront cost, drones can cover 6–6.6 acres in the time manual labour covers one acre. After accounting for efficiency and depreciation, drones were found to be over 78 per cent more cost effective than manual labour,” the findings showed.

In India, there are currently 122 holders of the Type Certificate — an approval issued by the DGCA confirming that a drone model meets safety, airworthiness, and performance standards for commercial use.

Among these, about 70 per cent have obtained certification for drones used in agriculture, mainly for agrochemical spraying. Another 24 per cent operate in surveillance and mapping, highlighting agriculture as the dominant use-case for drones at present.

Government policies have supported the local drone ecosystem through measures such as the ban on completely built drone units and the production-linked incentive scheme for manufacturing and R&D.

Initiatives like the Namo Drone Didi scheme aim to empower women Self-Help Groups with drone technology for agricultural services and encourage wider adoption, said the report.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare offers subsidies for drone purchases, while the Ministries of Mines and Road Transport and Highways use drones to monitor mines and highway development projects.

The Ministry of Defence has procurement mechanisms for remotely piloted aerial vehicles to strengthen operational readiness.

Additionally, about 90 per cent of India falls within the green zone, where drones can be operated without prior permission.

“Following states such as Punjab, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh, drone adoption in agriculture is expected to expand, creating a wider farm-based market,” the report mentioned.

—IANS

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