Drones Replace Indian Farm Workers, Unveiling Concerns of an Uncertain Future

In the scorching heat of October, Hardeep Sharma, 39, lugs a 40-liter portable petrol engine on his back, hoping for work to spray insecticides across a 3-acre sugarcane field. Discontent fills him as this is the only job he's had in the past two weeks.

Hailing from Bihar, one of India's poorest states, Sharma has sustained a decent livelihood as a migrant agricultural laborer for 12 years in the northern state of Haryana. Haryana heavily relies on Bihari laborers, with over 87 migrant workers in the small village of Ghuskani, performing various agricultural tasks.

Sharma, a seasoned pesticide sprayer, has covered almost every farm in the village. However, his fortunes have taken a downturn due to the rising popularity of agricultural drones. "My livelihood is almost over since drones arrived in this village," he laments. "I basically sit around doing nothing."

Drones are hailed as the future of farming, lauded for their speed in chemical spraying, versatility in farm tasks, water conservation aid, and, above all, cost efficiency. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his dream of having a drone on every farm, considering them a game-changer in the country where agriculture contributes about a fifth to the national GDP.

Satya Pal Singh, a major landlord with 35 acres of land, stands just 100 yards away from where Sharma is spraying, operating a large agricultural drone to spread insecticides over his sugarcane field. Singh, who used to hire several laborers for a week, now prefers paying a drone operator, despite the higher cost, as it completes the job in a single day. "The pilot does everything. All we need to do is give him insecticide," Singh remarks.

Ajay Kumar, another farmer in close proximity, shares how drones transformed his farming experience. While it used to take a laborer seven or eight hours to spray an acre of land, a drone accomplishes the same task in eight or nine minutes. The efficiency is particularly crucial when dealing with crop diseases that spread rapidly.

Beyond chemical spraying, drones equipped with various sensors can analyze terrain, detect weeds, monitor moisture levels, identify pest infestations, assist in field planning, evaluate crop health, and create nutrient maps.

However, drone adoption in India faces challenges, primarily due to high costs. A battery-powered drone costs around $8,000, while a petrol-powered one is approximately $15,000, not accounting for insurance and potential damage fees. As of November, only around 13,000 drones were registered in the country, a fraction compared to the millions of agricultural laborers.

The drone industry in India is still largely unregulated, raising concerns about potential negative impacts on the agricultural sector. Vasant Bhat, CEO of Trithi Robotics, emphasizes the need for diligent regulation to prevent adverse consequences.

As drones gradually integrate into Indian agriculture, the implications for laborers are profound. India faces high rates of farmer and farm laborer suicides, influenced by factors such as debt, low income prospects, climate-related crop failures, and an increasingly privatized market.

Ganesh Ram, 41, who used to earn a decent income from pesticide spraying, finds himself earning less due to the scarcity of jobs and downward pressure on wages from landowners threatening to switch to drones.

With limited options, laborers like Ram are exploring alternative employment. A survey from India's National Sample Survey Office indicates that nearly 40 percent of farm owners are uninterested in continuing farming in the long run. This uncertainty affects laborers, especially women who, on average, earn 25 percent less than their male counterparts.

Ramauti Devi, a 62-year-old landowner, expresses concern about the future job prospects for her sons if landowners opt for drones. Despite the potential for drone service providers to train laborers as drone pilots, the reality is more complex. Illiteracy among laborers and the need for proper training and licensing create barriers, with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation requiring fees and exams for drone operation.

In the current landscape, workers like Sharma find themselves with limited options. He goes from farm to farm, seeking spray work to sustain his family. "If I don't get it," he says, "my children and wife will go hungry at home."

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