Chennai, Dec 6 (IANS): To turn India into a drone skill hub, it will need at least one lakh drone pilots by 2023, Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports, Anurag Singh Thakur said on Tuesday.

The Union Minister was here to flag off drone start-up Garuda Aerospace's Drone Yatra and inaugurate the company's first Virtual E-Learning platform at Agni College of Technology near here.

Thakur, who is also the Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, said Kisan/farmer drone is the beginning of the new age developments in the agricultural sector and this will not only impact farmers but also create employment for various others.

He also recalled how drones were used to deliver farm inputs during the Covid-19 pandemic in Himachal Pradesh.

Garuda Aerospace's Drone Yatra called 'Operation 777' is for educating and demonstrating the efficacy of the drones in agriculture in 777 Indian districts.

Thakur also flew a drone to gain firsthand experience on operation, and handed over 10 drones to young entrepreneurs who have decided to become drone service providers.

"Our Drone Yatra will help farmers understand more about the technology and give them a better perspective on growing crops," Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO, Garuda Aerospace said.