Drone revolution in MP, yet people show little interest:Ranked 13th in civilian drone segment; national share not even 2%

To make Madhya Pradesh a ‘drone hub’, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav’s government has implemented the ‘MP Drone Promotion and Usage Policy-2025’, opening the doors to substantial subsidies, but the reality on the ground tells a different story. According to a report by the central government, the pace of drone registration in Madhya Pradesh is extremely slow compared to the top states in the country. While Maharashtra leads the country with 8,210 drones, this number is limited to merely 480 in Madhya Pradesh. ‘Bumper Offer’ in Policy, but Low Interest The state government has rolled out the red carpet for investors in its new policy. Under the policy, provisions have been made for capital subsidy of up to 40% (maximum up to 30 crore rupees) for drone manufacturing and grants of up to 2 crore rupees for Research Development (RD). Despite this, Madhya Pradesh has lagged behind, ranking 13th nationwide in terms of registrations. Even states like Haryana (2,179) and Andhra Pradesh (1,876) have moved far ahead of us. We are miles behind Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu According to government data, a total of 38,475 drones are registered in the country. Madhya Pradesh’s share in this is not even 2%. Maharashtra: 8,210 (Number 1) Tamil Nadu: 5,878 (Number 2) Telangana: 3,657 (Number 3) Madhya Pradesh: 480 (Number 13) Big promises for farmers and youth, but the ‘catch’ of registration The government claims that the drone policy will revolutionize the agricultural sector and create 8,000 new jobs. Training is also being provided through ‘Namo Drone Didi’ and ‘Seekho-Kamao Yojana’, but experts believe that due to lack of awareness regarding the registration process and remote pilot license, people are hesitant to get official registration (UIN). 3 Major Points of Drone Policy 2025: Heavy Subsidy: 40% subsidy on new investments and 25% discount on lease rent. Patent Assistance: Assistance of up to 5 lakh rupees for domestic patents and 10 lakh rupees for international patents. Training Incentive: A stipend of 8,000 rupees per month for youth undergoing drone training. Drone Registration is Based on Weight Under ‘Drone Rules 2021’, the classification and registration of drones in India is done based on their weight (Weight). Are other types of drones also registered? Information regarding this is given below: Military Drones: Drone Rules 2021 explicitly do not apply to drones owned or used by the Indian Navy, Army, or Air Force. A separate arrangement is made for these under military protocols. Research and Development (RD): Drones used for research, development, and testing purposes are exempt from the requirement of a ‘Type Certificate’, ‘Unique Identification Number’ (UIN), and ‘Remote Pilot License’, provided they operate in designated green zones. Prohibited Items: Under drone rules, the transportation of weapons, ammunition, or any kind of dangerous goods is completely prohibited.