Kothari Industrial sets up a drone division to serve agricultural lands

Kothari Industrial Corporation Ltd, part of the DC Kothari Group, has set up a separate drone division to deploy drone technology in farmlands, the company said on last Friday.

Under this initiative, Kothari Industrial Corporation Ltd has planned to work out a long-term sustainable strategy to reconfigure the agricultural landscape with the use of drones.

KICL is likely to invest over Rs 150 crore into the drone division over the next few years, a company statement here said.

"We have now embarked on a journey that seeks to combine innovation, sustainability and a commitment to revitalising the agricultural sector," said Kothari Industrial Corporation Ltd Managing Director Jinnah Rafiq Ahmed.

KICL has ventured into agricultural innovation with the introduction of a fleet of drones that have been designed to spray nano-urea in agricultural lands.

Nano-urea effectively fulfills crop nitrogen requirements and increases leaf photosynthesis and root biomass, the company claimed in a statement.

The objective of deploying drone technology is to bring a vast track of agricultural fields, especially in Tamil Nadu under the drone network.

"The primary objective of the drone division's agricultural initiative is to revolutionise farming practices by utilizing advanced drone technology. These drones are tasked with efficiently distributing nano-urea across the fertile landscapes of Tamil Nadu," Ahmed said.

This forward-thinking approach is not only environmentally conscious but also promises a sustainable and greener future for the region's agricultural heartland, he added.

The use of drones allows for more precise and efficient nutrient distribution leading to enhanced crop yields and reduced environmental impact, the company said.

Going forward, KICL plans to roll out indigenous drones which are designed, developed, and manufactured in-house. KICL, besides tapping farmlands, has also planned to expand the drone service to other areas such as mining, urban mapping, ports, and waterways.

"The Union government has set the vision to make India a global drone hub by 2030. Kothari's indigenous drone models will accomplish the same vision by having a pan-India and global presence in the drone ecosystem," Ahmed added.