Drone technology bound to increase in coming days: PM
28 May 2022 07:05:19
Delhi Bureau & Agencies
NEW DELHI,
HIGHLIGHTING the importance of drone technology in the fields of defence, disaster management, agriculture, tourism, film and entertainment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, use of this technology is bound to increase in the coming days.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating India’s biggest drone festival in Delhi on Firday, he said, “At a time when we are celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, it is my dream that everyone in India should have a smartphone in his or her hand, every farm should have a drone and every house should have prosperity.”
There was an environment of “indifference” towards the use of technology in governance before 2014 due to which the poor and the middle class suffered the most, Modi said.
He asserted the current Government has ensured last-mile delivery of services with the help of technology, including drones. Modi tried his hand on a drone and also interacted with Kisan drone pilots, witnessed open-air drone demonstrations and interacted with Start-ups in the drone exhibition centre. He also gave away 150 drone pilot certificates.
The enthusiasm being seen in India about drone technology is amazing and indicates possibilities of an emerging sector of employment generation, the Prime Minister said.
He said eight years ago “we started implementing new mantras of good governance”. “Walking on the path of minimum Government and maximum governance, priority was given to ease of living and ease of doing business,” Modi said. During the earlier Governments, technology was considered a part of the problem and efforts were made to label it “anti-poor”, the Prime Minister said.
“Due to this, there was an environment of indifference towards the use of technology in governance before 2014. The poor, the deprived, the middle class suffered the most,” he said. “Promotion of drone technology is another medium of advancing our commitment to good governance and ease of living. In the form of drones, we have a smart tool that is going to be part and parcel of people’s lives,’’ Modi 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.
Claiming that earlier technological inventions were considered to be for the elite only, PM said, “Today, we are ensuring that the masses are the first beneficiaries of any new technology. Drone technology is one such example.” Technology has helped a lot in ensuring the last-mile delivery of services, he said.
PM Swamitva Yojana is an example of how drone technology is becoming the basis of a big revolution, he said, adding under it, for the first time every property in villages is being digitally mapped and 65 lakh digital property cards have been given to people. 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 referring 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 said his government was strengthening the network of health and wellness centres across the country.
“I invite investors again as this is the right time to manufacture advanced drone technology for India and the world,” the prime minister 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.
Modi asked the youth to develop many more start-ups in the drone sector and expressed confidence that the police forces of the country will find drones useful. “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. Modi also tried his hand at flying a drone before delivering his inaugural speech at the event.
‘Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022’ is a two-day event being held on May 27 and 28. Along with Modi, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh were present at the inaugural event.