Hyderabad: Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has entered a strategic partnership with Marut Drones to undertake drone spray operations across five lakh acres of land in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The collaboration aims to enhance agricultural productivity and efficiency.
Under the terms of agreement, Marut Drones will be employing drone technology to administer agricultural inputs developed by IFFCO Agri-products. This tie-up looks at creating demand for rural entrepreneurs who have already invested in drone technology. Prem Kumar, Co-founder and CEO, Marut Drones, said: “This collaboration signifies a paradigm shift in farming practices, allowing farmers to minimise direct contact with pesticides. Furthermore, the utilisation of drones addresses labour shortage by fast tracking completion of tasks, significantly enhancing operational efficiency.” By providing drones-as-a-service (DAAS) for farmers, this collaboration fosters self-employment opportunities. Additionally, individuals keen on acquiring agricultural drones can avail government subsidies, facilitating their participation in the initiative and enabling them to offer drone services to farmers on a pay-per-acre basis.
Kumar further informed that DAAS enables farmers to access drone technology through rural drone entrepreneurs at a per-acre cost, ensuring affordability and accessibility even for small-scale farmers. Furthermore,
drone owners and service providers have to enroll with Marut to receive incentives for spraying IFFCO products on every acre, he added.