Using Technology to Improve a Billion Livelihoods

The report argues that drones can significantly boost Indian agriculture's GDP and employment by addressing systemic inefficiencies in input use and crop monitoring. It highlights precision spraying and land mapping as primary use cases that can reduce pesticide use by up to 90% and increase yields. To achieve this, the document advocates for a 'drones-as-a-service' model, indigenous manufacturing of components, and a multi-stakeholder approach involving government, financial institutions, and rural youth.

• Indian agriculture faces severe systemic challenges, including fragmented landholdings where marginal and small farmers own 86% of holdings, and low mechanization levels (below 50%) compared to countries like the US (95%) and Brazil (75%).
• Digital agriculture, including the use of AI, IoT, and drones, has the potential to generate an incremental economic value of $65 billion for India by 2025, representing a 23% value add to the sector.
• Drone-based agrochemical spraying can reduce input costs by 25-90%, decrease dermal chemical exposure for operators by 90-95%, and potentially increase crop yields by 10-20%.
• The combination of drone mapping and precision spraying can reduce pesticide usage by up to 90% compared to conventional manual methods.
• India's regulatory environment for drones has become more progressive through the Drone Rules 2021, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for indigenous manufacturing, and the 'Drone Shakti' initiative promoting drones-as-a-service.
• To scale adoption, India must develop a local component economy to manufacture batteries, brushless direct current (BLDC) motors, and flight controllers indigenously to align with the 'Make in India' agenda.
• A 'drones-as-a-service' model is recommended to make technology accessible to smallholders who cannot afford outright purchase, potentially utilizing private ownership (rental) or community ownership via Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).
• Successful implementation of a drone ecosystem could create at least 500,000 new jobs in the sector within three years and increase agriculture GDP by 1-1.5%.

APA

World Economic Forum (2022). Using Technology to Improve a Billion Livelihoods. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Using_Technology_to_Improve_a_Billion_Livelihoods_2022.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Using Technology to Improve a Billion Livelihoods. 2022. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Using_Technology_to_Improve_a_Billion_Livelihoods_2022.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Using Technology to Improve a Billion Livelihoods |date=October 2022 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Using_Technology_to_Improve_a_Billion_Livelihoods_2022.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2022using, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Using Technology to Improve a Billion Livelihoods}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2022}, month = oct, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Using_Technology_to_Improve_a_Billion_Livelihoods_2022.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }