सरकार ड्रोन उद्योग के लिए एक नई उत्पादन-लिंक्ड प्रोत्साहन (पीएलआई) योजना शुरू करने की तैयारी में।

The government is set to introduce a new Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the drone industry.

The government is planning to launch a new Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the drone sector that aims to improve implementation, documentation, and other processes. Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam announced this initiative on Wednesday, noting that the government is transitioning to the next phase of the PLI for drones.

The previous PLI scheme, which began in 2021 with a budget of ₹120 crore over three financial years, has now concluded. Vualnam acknowledged that some procedures in the first scheme were burdensome for startups and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the drone industry. He emphasized the need for a more streamlined approach in the upcoming PLI scheme.

He also highlighted the necessity of categorizing the drone sector into three segments: civilian use, security/defense applications, and unregulated or rogue usage. Vualnam pointed out that incidents of rogue drone use could hinder the adoption of drones by youth, startups, and women’s self-help groups. He noted the development of counter-drone technologies in response.

In a discussion paper, Ficci suggested that the government should include counter-drone systems and components in the new PLI scheme, with an increased budget of ₹1,000 crore to encourage startups and new players to create drones with more domestic components and subsystems.

Additionally, Vualnam mentioned that tenders are ready for procuring 3,000 more drones under the Namo Drone Didi Scheme, which aims to provide agricultural drones to rural women. A total of 15,000 drones will be distributed to women-led self-help groups. The first batch of 1,000 drones has already been acquired and distributed, with tenders for the additional drones set to be issued soon.

Major General C.S. Mann from the Army Design Bureau stressed the importance of indigenization, stating that it’s crucial to ensure the accuracy of claims regarding domestic capabilities to effectively address challenges and identify critical components.

News Reference