India's agricultural robotics market expanded 67% year-over-year to $420 million in fiscal year 2026, according to data from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and market research firm Tracxn. The surge is directly attributable to the government's PM Drone Didi (Prime Minister's Drone Sister) scheme and NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) agricultural equipment credit programs.
PM Drone Didi scheme impact: Launched in 2023, the scheme subsidized 15,000 drone acquisitions for women-led self-help groups (SHGs) in FY2025-26, with each SHG receiving a drone valued at ₹6–8 lakh ($7,200–9,600) at 80% government subsidy. The program created a new rural drone service model where SHG operators rent drone spraying services to individual farmers at ₹400–600/acre — far cheaper than hiring manual labor at ₹800–1,200/acre.
Market composition:
- Agricultural drones (spraying, seeding): 72% of market
- Harvesting robots (rice, wheat combines with automation): 15%
- Soil testing and mapping robots: 8%
- Other (weeding, irrigation): 5%
Key players: Chinese drone manufacturers DJI and XAG hold a combined 58% market share in India, despite domestic pressure to source Indian-made alternatives. Indian companies IdeaForge, Garuda Aerospace, and TechEagle are growing rapidly but at earlier technology stages.
NABARD credit acceleration: NABARD's agricultural mechanization credit disbursed ₹2,400 crore ($290M) for automated equipment in FY2025-26, including tractors with GPS guidance, automated irrigation systems, and harvesting robots. Loan terms: 7-year repayment at 4% interest for farmers with < 5 acres.
Market outlook: ICAR projects India will deploy 500,000 agricultural drones by 2028, targeting 40% coverage of crop spraying operations currently performed manually. The global implication: India becomes the world's second-largest agricultural drone market after China.