Agricultural Drones Bag 40% Subsidy for Field Spraying, Bringing 10 Lakh Machine Down to 6 Lakh Farmers can now purchase advanced agricultural spraying drones at a 40 percent subsidy, while per-acre spraying services receive up to 50 percent government support. Traditional agricultural practices are steadily making way for advanced machinery to reduce manual labor and optimize productivity. Indian farming, which once relied entirely on oxen and wooden plows, has transitioned into an era of mechanization where tasks taking hours are completed in minutes. Historically, spreading fertilizer and chemical treatments across crops involved manual broadcasting by hand or using cumbersome hand-operated backpack sprayers. These older methods required demanding physical labor, faced constant labor shortages, consumed excessive water, and often resulted in uneven application. To resolve these challenges, unmanned aerial vehicles known as agricultural drones are being integrated into field management. During the Kisan Swarojgar Mela organized at the Jehanabad district headquarters, Amrit Raj, startup founder of Netbrig Agriculture Drone Service, outlined how this aerial spraying technology works and how farmers can access state subsidies. Speed and Resource Efficiency in Field Applications The deployment of agricultural drones simplifies field maintenance by executing spray tasks at high speed. A job that once required multiple farm laborers several hours to finish is now concluded within minutes, offering a major advantage for large agricultural holdings. Operating smoothly over standing crops, the drone can spray fertilizers across an entire one-acre field in just 10 minutes. Alongside significant time savings, water conservation is a central benefit of this precision approach. Conventional spraying demands large volumes of water, whereas the agricultural drone accomplishes a thorough spray across an entire acre using only 10 liters of water. Subsidized Spraying Services via the Plant Protection Department Farmers who do not own a drone can still hire aerial spraying services for their crops at subsidized rates under a scheme managed by the Plant Protection Department. Amrit Raj explained that the official rate for spraying fertilizer over one acre of farmland using an agricultural drone is set at 419 rupees. Upon formal application, the government provides a 50 percent subsidy on this rate. With the 50 percent discount applied, the net cost for the farmer drops to just 210 rupees per acre. The entire spraying cycle for one acre requires between 5 and 7 minutes and utilizes 10 liters of water. Furthermore, this mechanized aerial method is fully compatible with modern liquid inputs, including nano urea and DAP. Purchasing Agricultural Drones at a 40 Percent Subsidy For growers with extensive acreage or rural entrepreneurs seeking to provide custom spraying services, the scheme provides financial assistance for equipment purchases. A standard agricultural drone carries a retail price of 10,00,000 rupees. Under the subsidy framework, buyers receive 40 percent assistance. Consequently, after deducting the government subsidy, eligible farmers can acquire the 10,00,000 rupee drone for a final price of 6,00,000 rupees. This financial support lowers the entry barrier for adopting advanced precision farming tools in rural districts. Step-by-Step Application Workflow on the DBT Portal Availing either the subsidized drone purchase or the on-field spraying service requires a valid farmer registration ID. Applicants must log into the designated DBT portal and select the Plant Protection Department from the list of services. After selecting the relevant scheme, the farmer fills out the required application details and submits a formal affidavit. Once the digital submission is processed and confirmed, the authorized operating team visits the farmer's land with the equipment to carry out the aerial fertilizer spraying directly on the target crop. What this means for you This government measure directly cuts field maintenance costs, reduces water consumption, and makes modern precision equipment accessible to farmers at substantially lower rates. • Service Costs: With the 50 percent subsidy applied, farmers can get their fields sprayed for just 210 rupees per acre. This eliminates reliance on expensive manual labor and minimizes physical strain during seasonal operations. • Water and Time Efficiency: The technology completes an acre of spraying in 5 to 10 minutes using only 10 liters of water. This sharp drop in water usage prevents resource depletion while ensuring uniform nutrient distribution. • Equipment Procurement: The 40 percent subsidy brings the effective purchase price of a 10,00,000 rupee drone down to 6,00,000 rupees. This creates affordable ownership opportunities for large farmers and rural youth aiming to start service enterprises. • Application Requirements: Beneficiaries require an active farmer registration ID and a signed affidavit to apply. Farmers can submit their claims online through the official DBT portal under the Plant Protection Department section. Why this happened Traditional crop spraying methods faced rising labor costs, significant water waste, and time-consuming manual effort, prompting the agricultural administration to incentivize aerial drone technology. • Limitations of Manual Spraying: Conventional backpack sprayers require multiple hours per acre and frequently lead to uneven fertilizer application. Drones resolve these issues by ensuring precision coverage in minutes while cutting water volume to 10 liters. • Labor Constraints and Operational Delays: Finding manual laborers during peak agricultural windows has become increasingly difficult and expensive for growers. Introducing mechanized drone services provides timely field treatments independent of labor availability. • Overcoming High Capital Costs: A retail price of 10,00,000 rupees makes commercial agricultural drones unaffordable for most individual farmers. The government introduced a 40 percent purchase subsidy and a 50 percent service discount to make the technology economically viable. Questions & Answers 1. What subsidy is available on agricultural drones? The government provides a 40 percent subsidy on the purchase of agricultural drones and a 50 percent subsidy on field spraying services. 2. What is the subsidized price of a 10 lakh rupee agricultural drone? After deducting the 40 percent government subsidy, the 10,00,000 rupee drone costs 6,00,000 rupees. 3. How much does drone spraying cost per acre under the scheme? The standard rate is 419 rupees per acre, which drops to 210 rupees per acre after applying the 50 percent government subsidy. 4. How much time and water does a drone take to spray one acre? The drone completes spraying across one acre in 5 to 7 minutes and uses only 10 liters of water. 5. How can farmers apply for subsidized drone spraying? Farmers can apply on the official DBT portal using their farmer registration ID under the Plant Protection Department section along with a required affidavit. https://trendkia.com/en/national/kheton-men-kitanashaka-aura-khada-chhirakava-ke-lie-krishi-drona-para-40-subsidy-10-lakha-ki-mashina-6-lakha-rupaye-men-upalabdha-45925 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.