Kisan drone: DGCA accords Marut Drones Type Certification, RPTO approval

Hyderabad: Drone technology manufacturer Marut Drones has received the Type Certification approvals from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for their agricultural drone AG 365. The drone is now eligible for Rs. 10 lakh unsecured loans from the Agri Infrastructure Fund at a minimal 5-6% interest. Further, a 50-100% subsidy can be availed from the government of India.

AG 365 was developed particularly for agricultural purposes to reduce crop loss, lower agrochemical usage, and produce better yield and profits for the farmers. It is designed to be a multi-utility drone catering to the various operations in agriculture from crop protection through spraying, direct seeding to replace the cumbersome and expensive transplantation process in rice and also for rapid afforestation purposes. It was tested on more than 1.5 lakhs acres in 10 states across India. Further, extensive research is being done for the development of crop-specific drone spraying SOPs in collaboration with prestigious agriculture universities and research institutes.

In addition, Marut Drones has been accorded RPTO approvals which enables training and capacity building of drone pilots focused on safe agriculture operations, repair, and maintenance. According to DGCA, a remote pilot training organisation (RPTO) is an organisation authorised by the DGCA to impart remote pilot training to any individual seeking a remote pilot certificate under Rule 34 of the Drone Rules 2021.

Marut Drones Founders Prem Kumar Vislawath, Suraj Peddi, and Sai Kumar Chinthala

Marut Drones is tying up with major universities to enable drone pilots with the highest quality training and with aims to develop 2 lakh drone entrepreneurs in the countryside.

Marut Drones founder Prem Kumar Vislawath said Marut Drones has been taking steps in line with its vision of advancing agriculture. "Manual spraying in agriculture has caused huge negative health impacts on operators, and mindless repetition of these sprays is inhumane, exposing the operator to chemicals and leading to cancers. With both type certification and RTPO approvals by DGCA, manual inhumane operations can be easily performed by drones, making it safe for the operator. This also creates new job opportunities in rural areas. A drone entrepreneur using this drone can earn anywhere between Rs. 40,000-90,000, enabling him to work from the comfort of his home and make a positive impact on farmers."

Marut Drones co-founder Suraj Peddi said, "All drones in the market can only be used for a single purpose like spraying pesticides in the farms. Understanding the ground reality of farmers and for better Return on Investment and product experience, we built the first multi-purpose drone."

He added, "Our AG 365 is similar to tractors and one can do more than just spray by changing the attachment. This will give better ROI to users and the drone can be used for years for different agricultural purposes."