Millions of drones to be deployed in plan to spray fertilizers

The government is working on a plan to make 10 drones available to each of India's 660,000 villages for spraying fertilizers, two people aware of the matter said.

- Dhirendra Kumar

This will reduce input costs, improve efficiency and help apply fertilizers more precisely, they said, against the backdrop of the Union budget for 2025-26 allocating ₹1.67 trillion for fertilizer subsidies.

The integration of drone technology in agriculture by the department of fertilizers aims to boost productivity while addressing labour shortages and minimize the environmental impact.

Targeted spraying can help reduce fertilizer wastage and improve soil health.