Chennai, Dec 7 (KNN) Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur said on Tuesday that India will become a hub of drone technology and it will require at least 1 lakh drone pilots by next year.

Addressing the gathering after flagging of the ‘Drone Yatra 2.0’, in Chennai he said “Prime Minister Modi once remarked that ‘India has a billion solutions to a million problems.’ 

“As the country of a billion plus people, India is increasingly leveraging technology to stay ahead of the curve,” he added. 

As a part of the SWAMITVA scheme (Survey of villages and mapping with improvised technology in village areas), the survey of the land and houses are being prepared through drones in the villages, he added. 

Drones are increasingly being used to sprinkle pesticides and nano fertilizers in the fields in rural villages, said the minister.

He remarked that as part of the "Kisan Drone Yatra", inaugurated by PM Modi 100 Kisan Drones were sent to villages across the country to spray pesticides. 

He quoted the PM Modi’s remark that, “Kisan Drone is now the beginning of a new age revolution in this direction.”

Stating that India will require at least 1 lakh pilots in 2023, he said that each pilot will earn at least 50-80 thousand a month. 

If you take the Conservative Average even Rs 50,000 × 1 lakh youth × 12 months = Rs. 6000 crores a year worth employment could be created in the Drone sector, he said.

He appreciated Garuda Aerospace’s plan to make one lakh 'Made in India' drones in the next two years.

Garuda's Drone Skilling & Training Conference which is to be conducted in 775 districts across the country hopes to reach 10 lakh Youth.  (KNN Bureau)