(HT)
India has the potential to become a global drone hub, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday as he inaugurated the country’s biggest drone festival. “During the earlier governments, technology was considered part of the problem, efforts were made to prove it was anti-poor. Due to this, there was an atmosphere of indifference regarding the use of technology in governance before 2014. The poor suffered the most, the deprived, the middle class also suffered,” the prime minister said, hitting out at former governments.
Farmers are no longer apprehensive about using new technology, PM Modi said, highlighting the use of drone technology in the agriculture sector. “The enthusiasm that is being seen in India regarding drone technology is amazing. This energy is visible, it is a reflection of the quantum jump in the drone service and drone based industry in India. It shows the possibilities of an emerging large sector of employment generation in India,” he said. Smart technology will take the country’s agricultural sector to a new level.
Ahead of the PM’s address, union aviation minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia had highlighted: “It is estimated that the drone industry will reach ₹15,000 crore turnover by the year 2026. Today, there are 270 drones startups in India.”
