New Delhi, Jan 23 (KNN) India’s drone trade, a burgeoning sector with immense doable, has referred to as for a considerable building up in allocations below the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme within the upcoming Union Budget 2025-26.
Stakeholders consider this transfer is essential to beef up home production, cut back import reliance, and place India as a world chief in drone era.
The PLI scheme for drones, presented in September 2021 with an preliminary outlay of Rs 120 crore over 3 years, aimed to reinforce the manufacturing of drones, elements, and device construction.
However, trade leaders now suggest for a considerably higher fund to free up the sphere’s doable.
“Given the scope of this technology, a PLI scheme worth Rs 1,000-2,000 crore over at least five years is needed,” mentioned Ankit Mehta, CEO of Navi Mumbai-based Ideaforge Ltd, India’s greatest drone producer.
Mehta emphasized that greater monetary fortify would increase a powerful home provide chain and mitigate import dependency.
Ideaforge, which has been production drones for almost twenty years and went public in 2023, reported earnings of Rs 37.10 crore in Q2 FY25.
Like many within the trade, Mehta is pushing for a devoted analysis and construction (R&D) fund to force innovation.
“A dedicated R&D fund is critical for advancing technology, developing indigenous components, and fostering exports,” he famous.
The Drone Federation of India (DFI), representing over 200 producers and 350 provider suppliers, echoed those sentiments.
Smit Shah, DFI’s president, steered for a remodeled PLI scheme to draw investments and advertise India’s international competitiveness.
Additionally, the trade seeks a devoted credit score line to scale operations and a ban on imports of crucial elements from international locations sharing land borders with India to verify cybersecurity and advertise indigenisation.
The sector additionally envisions greater drone adoption in governance, safety, and infrastructure tracking, along tasks in healthcare, public protection, and crisis reaction.
These measures, trade leaders assert, will create sustained call for and boost up expansion.
As the Budget approaches, the drone trade hopes for strategic coverage interventions to become India right into a drone powerhouse.
(KNN Bureau)
