Painting a very promising future for drone technology in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday revealed he even “conducts surprise inspections of development work across the country with the help of drones”.

And maintaining that they would also help in ensuring last-mile delivery of services across the country, Modi attacked previous regimes when “technology was considered part of the problem and efforts were made to portray it as anti-poor.” Inaugurating the two-day Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022, Modi said the use of drones will rise in agriculture, sports, defence and disaster management sectors.

“Every month I organise a pragati meeting with Government officials and review the development works in various parts of the country with the help of drones. I conduct surprise inspections of development work across the country with the help of drones,” Modi pointed out giving an interesting insight into his drone-linked governance style. “Exactly eight years ago we started implementing new mantras of good governance in India following the path of minimum Government - maximum governance. Today we are making technology available to the masses first,” said Modi at India’s biggest drone festival here at Pragati Maidan.

Due to misplaced aversion, he said there was an atmosphere of indifference regarding the use of technology in governance before 2014.

“The poor, the deprived, and the middle class suffered the most due to this,” he said.

He also recalled the complicated procedures for availing of basic facilities leading to a sense of deprivation and fear.

“In earlier Governments technology was considered part of the problem and efforts were made to portray it as anti-poor,” he further said.

Modi said progress is possible only when we change with time adding “We have made technology a key tool to impart new strength, speed and scale to the country”.

Modi, who has been, for some time, advocating the increasing use of drone technology across the country, said technology has helped a lot in furthering the vision of saturation and in ensuring last-mile delivery.

“And I know that we can achieve the goal of Antyodaya by moving forward at this pace and are able to provide the poor segment with their entitlement by the use of Jan Dhan, Aaadhar, Mobile (JAM) trinity,” he said. Experience of the last 8 years further strengthens my belief, the Prime Minister said.

Also, he said the use of drones will rise in sectors such as agriculture, sports, defence and disaster management. Till a few months ago, there were various restrictions on drone technology. The Centre has removed such restrictions in a short span, Modi said.

He was  pointing to the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s easing of drone rules in August last year, wherein it had reduced the number of forms that need to be filled to operate them from 25 to five and decreased the types of fees charged from the operator from 72 to four.

The Prime Minister further said there was a time when people used to spend hours standing in line for rations. In the last seven to eight years, we have removed this hurdle with the help of technology, he said as he claimed that earlier the technology was used for elites only.

He said the country has been witness to the quick delivery of Covid-19 vaccine through drones. “This (a drone) can help us send top-quality medical equipment and services to remote areas. People will see that not only in urban areas, drones have found their use in rural areas too,” the Prime Minister said.

“I invite investors again as this is the right time to manufacture advanced drone technology for India and the world,” Modi said.

“We are also moving towards creating a strong drone manufacturing ecosystem in India through schemes like productivity-linked scheme (PLI). When technology goes to the masses, possibilities of its use also increase accordingly,” he said.

“Whenever there are big events like the Kumbh Mela, the drones can be of immense help. In traffic jams, solutions can be found with the help of drones,” the Prime Minister said.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, in his address, spoke about how drones are used for land mapping in villages under the Centre’s Swamitva Scheme which was launched by the Prime Minister in April 2021.

“A drone of just two to three kg will help in the Government’s plan to push ‘gram swaraj’ (self-reliant village) in India,” Scindia said, adding the Government has banned the import of drones in February to give domestic manufacturers a push.

He said presently 12 Central Government departments and 14 States are using drones.