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VMPL
Gurugram (Haryana) [India], July 17: AVPL International has joined hands with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) under the National Entrepreneurs Empowerment Drive (NEED) to create 2,00,000 Drone Udyamis across India through the "1 Panchayat - 1 Drone Udyami" Mission. In a first for India's drone industry, Dr. Deep Sihag Sisai, Founder of AVPL International, has invited competing drone manufacturers, component companies, technology providers, training organisations and service companies to work together in the national interest -- uniting the ecosystem on one platform to build the infrastructure for two lakh sustainable rural drone entrepreneurs. Dr. Deep Sihag Sisai said: "The target of creating two lakh Drone Udyamis is too large and too important to be achieved by one company alone. For the first time, we are openly inviting even our competitors to collaborate with us in the national interest.India's drone companies may compete in the market, but we must collaborate in creating the market. Our vision is not to reserve this opportunity for AVPL International. We want every credible Indian drone manufacturer, component company and technology provider to participate and work together to make India a global hub for drones." NEED: From Skill Development to Enterprise Creation NEED, NSDC's flagship entrepreneurship initiative, transforms skilled and aspiring youth into sustainable entrepreneurs through technical training, business planning, finance, technology support, market linkages, mentorship and long-term enterprise handholding. It was launched on 1 May 2026 at Birla Auditorium, Jaipur, before Rajasthan Chief Minister Shri Bhajan Lal Sharma; Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan; and Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education. Each Drone Udyami may operate a Panchayat-level Drone and Rural Technology Service Centre offering agriculture spraying, nano-fertiliser application, seed broadcasting, crop monitoring, surveying, mapping, infrastructure inspection, agri-input distribution and government-related drone services. The shared-service model suits India's small, fragmented landholdings: instead of each farmer buying a drone, one locally trained Drone Udyami can serve hundreds of farmers across a Panchayat or cluster of villages. 1.85 Lakh Crore Market Opportunity AVPL International estimates the integrated market opportunity at approximately 1.85 lakh crore, comprising 25,000 crore in agriculture drone kits, 60,000 crore in the annual Drone-as-a-Service market, and 1,00,000 crore in the annual agri-input business. The opportunity can further expand across batteries, spare parts, annual maintenance, software, artificial intelligence, crop analytics, training, finance, insurance, government projects and exports. Drone City Haryana AVPL International has also established Drone City Haryana at Sisai, Hansi, Hisar, on an 11.5-acre campus. The proposed 80 crore project has received approved incentive support of 58.51 crore under the Haryana Enterprise and Employment Policy, 2020, and is being developed as a collaborative platform for drone manufacturing, component production, research, product testing, training, skilling, innovation, entrepreneurship, repairs and export-oriented development. AVPL International and the Drone Tech Multi-State Cooperative Society Limited will invite qualified drone OEMs, component manufacturers, software companies, research institutions, banks, NBFCs and technology partners to join. Dr. Deep Sihag Sisai concluded, "When two lakh Drone Udyamis begin operating, they will create demand for drones, batteries, components, software, training, maintenance, finance and agri-inputs. This mission can create opportunities for the entire industry, not only for one company. Together, we can make India the world's leading hub for drone manufacturing, services, skills and entrepreneurship." (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.)
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