For decades, governance in India moved at the pace of paperwork. Files travelled from desk to desk, decisions were layered in procedure, and implementation often lagged behind intention. But somewhere above our villages, highways, rail tracks and borders, a silent revolution has taken flight. The drone. What began globally as a military experiment has, in India, evolved into a transformative instrument of governance. Over the last two decades, drone technology has matured from limited experimental deployment to a structured ecosystem that is reshaping agriculture, infrastructure, disaster management, land ownership systems and national security. India is not merely using drones. India is institutionalising them.
The transformation did not happen accidentally. It is the result of deliberate policy design, regulatory simplification and ecosystem building. Today, drones in India are used for land and property surveys, precision agriculture, infrastructure inspection, disaster management, railway and highway monitoring, and defence operations. Behind this growing adoption stands a comprehensive ecosystem comprising manufacturers, software developers, component suppliers, Drone-as-a-Service providers, certified pilots, training institutions, research organisations and digital regulatory platforms operating within a unified framework. This structured growth reflects maturity, not experimentation.
Perhaps nowhere is the impact more profound than in rural land governance through the SVAMITVA Scheme-Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas. Launched in April 2020 and implemented by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in collaboration with State Governments and the Survey of India, the scheme uses drone-based mapping to survey rural abadi areas. For generations, unclear land boundaries triggered disputes, litigation and social conflict. Ambiguity kept property economically dead – unusable as collateral, invisible to formal banking systems and vulnerable to encroachment. Drone mapping has brought scientific precision to this long-standing problem. Nearly 3.44 lakh villages were targeted under the scheme. As of December 2025, drone surveys have been completed in 3.28 lakh villages – about 95 percent of the target. By December 2025, 2.76 crore property cards had been prepared for 1.82 lakh villages across 31 States and Union Territories, all of which have signed Memorandums of Understanding. This is not simply a mapping exercise. It is the formalisation of rural wealth. When a villager holds a property card, land becomes capital. Credit flows where uncertainty once reigned.
Agriculture, the backbone of India’s rural economy, is undergoing its own aerial transformation. The Namo Drone Didi Scheme, launched in November 2023, represents one of the most socially transformative initiatives in the drone ecosystem. The objective is clear: provide drones to Women Self Help Groups to support precision farming, improve productivity, reduce input costs and create sustainable livelihood opportunities. Since inception, 1,094 drones have been distributed to women SHGs by lead fertiliser companies, including over 500 under the Namo Drone Didi initiative. The shift from manual and labour-intensive spraying to calibrated, data-driven application of fertilisers and pesticides marks a structural change in farming practices. In the 110th episode of Mann Ki Baat, a Drone Didi from Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, explained how drone training enabled her SHG to provide spraying services to farmers, boosting both income and social empowerment. Precision agriculture reduces wastage, optimises chemical use and increases crop yield. More importantly, it places technology directly in the hands of rural women, converting empowerment from rhetoric into enterprise.
Infrastructure development, long plagued by delays and disputes, has also been reshaped by drones. The National Highways Authority of India now mandates monthly drone-video recordings for all highway projects. Contractors must upload footage from the current and previous month to enable comparative analysis. Supervision consultants evaluate progress through digital reports, and project directors cross-verify during physical inspections. The drone footage stored in central data lakes serves as permanent documentation, even functioning as admissible evidence in dispute resolution before arbitral tribunals and courts. Accountability is no longer dependent solely on paper reports; it is captured in aerial documentation. Similarly, the Ministry of Railways has directed all zones and divisions to deploy UAVs for monitoring tracks, bridges and other infrastructure. West Central Railway pioneered trials, enabling inspection of hard-to-reach areas and improving maintenance efficiency. The Railway Protection Force has adopted drones for surveillance across rail yards and station premises, enhancing crowd management and anti-trespass operations. The message is clear: infrastructure is now monitored from the sky, reducing blind spots and enhancing transparency.
In disaster management, where minutes determine survival, drones have become critical response tools. The North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) has developed specialised drone systems designed for disaster situations. These drones can maintain stability for extended durations and carry heavy equipment. During floods, landslides and other natural disasters, they provide live aerial visuals to command centres, enabling faster situational assessment and coordinated rescue operations. Real-time intelligence reduces response delays and enhances preparedness. Instead of reacting blindly, authorities can respond with precision.
National security represents another domain where drones have become indispensable. They assist the armed forces in border surveillance, intelligence gathering and precision operations. During Operation SINDOOR, Indian drones and loitering munitions demonstrated their capability to neutralise enemy targets with accuracy while minimising risk to personnel. Integrated with radar systems, air defence networks and command centres, drones strengthen India’s defensive posture. The modern battlefield is increasingly unmanned, and India is adapting accordingly.
Such widespread deployment would not have been possible without enabling regulatory reforms. The Drone Rules, 2021, along with amendments in 2022 and 2023, significantly liberalised the sector. Regulatory forms were reduced from 25 to five, and approval requirements dropped from 72 to just four. Fees were rationalised and delinked from drone size. Nearly 90 percent of Indian airspace was designated a Green Zone for drone operations up to 400 feet. Civilian operations were permitted for drones weighing up to 500 kg. The traditional pilot licence requirement was replaced with a Remote Pilot Certificate issued by the DGCA, and passport requirements were removed in favour of any government-issued identification with address proof. These measures lowered entry barriers and encouraged both rural and commercial adoption, strengthening Drone-as-a-Service models across sectors.
Financial incentives further accelerated growth. The Production Linked Incentive scheme for drones and components, with an outlay of ₹120 crore, supports domestic manufacturing and encourages start-ups and MSMEs to scale production. GST on drones was reduced to a uniform five percent in September 2025, replacing earlier rates of 18 and 28 percent. The reform also extended to flight and motion simulators used in pilot training, reducing costs for training institutions and strengthening skill development. Regulatory services such as drone registration and remote pilot certification have been migrated to the eGCA platform, while operational services remain integrated with Digital Sky. As of February 9, 2026, 38,575 drones have been registered with Unique Identification Numbers, 39,890 Remote Pilot Certificates have been issued, and 244 Remote Pilot Training Organisations have been approved nationwide. These numbers reflect institutional scale.
Ecosystem development extends beyond regulation. Platforms such as Bharat Drone Shakti, Bharat Drone Mahotsav and the Drone International Expo promote indigenous technologies and Drone-as-a-Service start-ups. The SwaYaan capacity-building programme has conducted over 857 activities benefiting more than 26,000 participants with 337 collaborations. The National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research engages students and researchers, offering a ₹40 lakh prize pool to encourage autonomous solutions in disaster management and precision agriculture. Talent creation and innovation are embedded into the sector’s growth trajectory.
India’s drone ecosystem has transitioned from pilot projects to a mainstream, innovation-driven sector supported by progressive policies, financial incentives and digital governance platforms. Drones are now embedded across agriculture, land surveys, infrastructure monitoring, disaster response and defence. They enhance efficiency, transparency and precision in governance while creating new economic opportunities, particularly for women and rural communities. As indigenous manufacturing expands and skill development deepens, India is positioning itself as a global leader in unmanned aerial systems. The drone in India is no longer a gadget in the sky. It is a governance instrument, a development catalyst and a symbol of technological self-reliance. The sky is no longer the limit. It is the new administrative frontier.
