The Ministry of Aviation is accepting applications for drone PLI.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation announced an application deadline for the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and drone components on Thursday. It stated that the application form must be submitted by May 20, 2022.
It added in a press statement that manufacturers who have met the PLI eligibility criterion for FY 2021-2022 can apply. For drones and drone components, the PLI plan requires an annual sales turnover of Rs 2 crore for drone companies and Rs 50 lakhs for drone component manufacturers, as well as a value addition of above 40% of sales turnover.
By June 30, 2022, the final list of PLI beneficiaries may be available.
On September 30, 2021, the Central Government announced the PLI plan for drones and drone components. A total incentive of Rs 120 crore will be distributed over three financial years under the scheme, nearly double the combined turnover of all domestic drone manufacturers in FY 2020-21.
According to Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, the drone service sector shows immense promise and will provide about one lakh jobs in the next four to five years. “We enacted a productivity-linked scheme for the drone sector, under which a nascent industry of drone manufacturing — with a total revenue of Rs 60 crore — was given an incentive of Rs 120 crore over the next three years,” the minister said in a speech at an event organised by the National Drone Association.