Drones are increasingly being used worldwide in agriculture for data collection and precise analysis of facilities, helping improve crop yields and efficiency.

However, in India, the use of drones remains restricted. Many coffee industry representatives have voiced their hope for regulatory changes that would allow drones to monitor crop health.

Beyond professional applications, millions of Indian farmers see drones as a tool to boost productivity and enhance agricultural output.

"We are in a new era of agriculture where precision farming offers advanced ways to manage crops. Today, technology can minimize waste and maximize profitability through data. Drone technology is truly reshaping agriculture," said Jaisimha Rao, a coffee plantation owner.

Rao, passionate about both technology and agriculture, noticed the lack of data-driven decision-making in his coffee plantation. To address this, he combined drones, computing power, and specific algorithms to analyze coffee crops. Rao went on to establish TartanSense, a company leveraging drones to capture and analyze aerial imagery.

Using drones to collect data has proven to be a game-changer for agriculture, particularly for large coffee plantations. However, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed significant restrictions on drone usage, sparking discussions on the potential applications of drones within the country. Rao expressed concern that overly restrictive regulations could stifle startups’ enthusiasm for drone technology. He noted that his $100,000 drone has already been successfully deployed in Indonesia, Japan, and the United States.

Tata Coffee CEO Sanjiv Sarin emphasized, "We are stepping into the future of the coffee industry. Large coffee companies should collaborate to demonstrate to the government how drones can effectively contribute to agricultural production and advocate for their usage."

Drones for agricultural purposes support precision farming, a modern approach that uses big data and aerial imaging to optimize agricultural efficiency. These drones collect crop images, which are then processed into color-coded maps based on crop health. The data is analyzed by drone companies before being shared with farmers for actionable insights.

Rao highlighted that the real value of drones lies not in their hardware or operation but in how the data is analyzed to benefit farmers. "Our drones can fly for 20 minutes, covering approximately 150 hectares in one flight. The images are uploaded to the cloud, where data is processed into maps. The analysis is then communicated to farmers, which is where drones provide true value," Rao explained.