The initiative aims to train and support thousands of rural entrepreneurs who will provide drone-based crop spraying services and sell agricultural inputs to farmers.
Drone technology company AVPL International has partnered with agri-solutions platform DeHaat and Farmers City India Pvt. Ltd. (FCIPL) to build a rural entrepreneurship ecosystem centred on agricultural drones and agri-input retail.
Under the collaboration, the companies plan to train and support drone entrepreneurs at the village level, enabling them to provide drone-based crop-spraying services while also operating agri-input shops. The initiative aims to create one drone entrepreneur per village, offering farmers access to modern agricultural technologies as a service rather than requiring them to purchase expensive equipment.
During an interaction with EFY’s Nitisha, Preet Sandhu, Founder of AVPL, shared that the programme draws on the expertise of the three partners. AVPL will focus on drone manufacturing, training and operational support. DeHaat will contribute its agri-input distribution network and product expertise, and FCIPL will support the agri-input retail component of the model.
Integrated rural business model
The model is designed to help entrepreneurs generate multiple revenue streams. In addition to offering drone spraying services, entrepreneurs will be able to sell pesticides, fertilisers and other agricultural inputs to farmers.
Sandhu said, “Integrating drone services with agri-input sales can strengthen rural business viability. Entrepreneurs visiting farms for spraying services can also supply the required inputs, thereby increasing both farmers’ convenience and local operators’ income opportunities.”
Training and certification
Training for the programme will be conducted by AVPL in accordance with the National Skill Qualification Framework guidelines. Courses typically run for around 250-300 hours and include drone operation, pilot licensing, and agri-input business management.
Participants must meet basic eligibility criteria, including completion of at least Class 12, being over 20 years of age, and demonstrating an entrepreneurial mindset. In some cases, training costs may be subsidised by government skill-development programmes, while other candidates may pay training fees as part of the entrepreneurship package.
AVPL trainers delivering the courses must also undergo a ‘train-the-trainer’ certification process to comply with government skill standards.
Support and handholding
Sandhu mentioned that the programme goes beyond training by providing operational support to entrepreneurs after they start their businesses. AVPL plans to connect them with crop-spraying service opportunities through partnerships with organisations such as Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) and other fertiliser companies.
DeHaat will manage the agri-input supply chain and inventory support, ensuring that entrepreneurs have access to products needed for farm spraying operations.
Expanding presence
AVPL currently operates in 16 states with around 70 training locations and is training nearly 5,000 candidates across India. The company expects a large portion of these trainees to transition into drone-based rural entrepreneurs.
The company also operates the Drone Planet Suvidha Kendra platform, an aggregator marketplace where entrepreneurs can access training, drones and related services from multiple manufacturers.
Enabling technology as a service
The partners believe the model could accelerate drone adoption in agriculture by offering technology as a service rather than a capital purchase for farmers. Since most Indian farmers operate small landholdings, service-based access to drones can help reduce labour requirements, improve spraying efficiency and minimise chemical exposure to soil.
Drone spraying can cover one acre in about five minutes, compared to several hours for manual spraying, and uses less water while providing more uniform application.
Focus on rural entrepreneurship
The programme also encourages participation from rural institutions such as Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and Common Service Centre (CSC) operators. AVPL has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with several sector regulators and organisations to facilitate candidate mobilisation and training.
“The initiative is open to both men and women, and the companies say they hope to see more women entrepreneurs participate in drone-based agriculture services in rural India”, concluded Preet Sandhu.
