Framework for drone procurement underway

23 Aug 2022 CW Team

The government is preparing a procurement framework for usage of unmanned aerial vehicles or drones for various commercial purposes. The idea is to enable public sector enterprises to decide whether to buy drones as equipment or use them as a service, as the lack of clarity on procurement could impact overall output including data collection.

ministries, including road, transport and highways, railways, agriculture and panchayati raj, as well as Niti Aayog have held discussions with the Drones Federation of India on the quality parameters needed for using drones on a large scale.

The government estimates that the drones sector will achieve a turnover of ₹120-150 billion by 2026, up from about Rs 800 million now, with a significant pickup in demand from sectors such as agriculture, delivery services, defence, law enforcement and surveillance.

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