General Aeronautics starts commercial production of Agri drones

Drone startup General Aeronautics has begun commercial production of agricultural drones, aiming a monthly production of 100 units. The Bengaluru-based startup delivers advanced aerial technologies for agriculture, healthcare, and unmanned aerial vehicle design.

The drone manufactured under the brand name Krishak has a 16-kg payload with 25 minutes of flight time and can cover up to six acres per battery charge with AI-assisted navigation. The startup has priced its drones at Rs 25 lakh each, with three batteries.

According to the company, the nozzles used in Krishak are different, as spraying happens in mist form without posing any hazard, increasing coverage. The trials were conducted in 45 crops in 14 states, across 10,000 acres, in experimental plots of agrichemical companies, and were validated by 15 agricultural institutes.

Srikanth Srinivasan, Head of Sales and Marketing, General Aeronautics said, “We have started commercial production this month after conducting trials for the last three years. The battery used now has a capacity of 600 cycles. The company is working on a new battery of 6,000 cycles.”