"This is also one of India’s first agricultural drone initiatives by a CSR foundation," the IIFL Foundation claimed in a statement.
The custom built agricultural drone has been given to MPUAT for research and educational purpose, it said.
The custom made 2 meter wide, battery powered drone can spray over an area of 1 acre in less than 3 minutes. An android phone is mounted to its wireless remote that allows easy navigation. The structure comprises of 6 arms, 6 propellers and 4 spraying nozzles which can easily cover large farm areas in few hours that takes a day or 2 for manual spraying, it said.
The drone was launched by MPAUT Vice Chancellor Narendra Singh Rathod, IIFL Foundation Director Madhu Jain, RNT Medical College (Udaipur) Principal Lakhan Poswal, at the instructional farm in MPUAT's campus, Udaipur, in presence of Farmers.
MPUAT Vice Chancellor said, "We are highly grateful to IIFL Foundation for choosing our University to grant such an innovation. Of all the technological innovations that have been made in agriculture, drone based services is definitely the next best step."
Currently, the drone will be used to spray insecticides, pesticides and other liquid based supplementary nutrition to the crops. In coming time we shall certainly enhance the technology with research and contribution of our students, he said.
IIFL Foundation Director Madhu Jain said the agricultural drone is an innovation that shall allow farmers to save time spent on manual spraying, avoid over exertion in the extreme hot climate & also safeguard them against any illness arising out from over-exposure to pesticides and insecticides.
This is IIFL Foundation’s second drone initiative after the successful launch of Maharashtra’s first drone-based last mile vaccine delivery in Palghar district. The project was done in partnership with Ministry of Health and Government of Maharashtra. It became India's first such innovation with a payload capacity of 5 kg and operating within a radius of 25 km, delivering life saving vaccines at the earliest.
