COVID-Disinfection in Varanasi using special Drones

The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA), Government of India, and Invest India, India’s National Investment Promotion Agency have closely collaborated through the AGNI Mission, and Invest India’s Business Immunity Platform (BIP) – to facilitate the use of specially designed drones to support Covid-19 disinfection in Varanasi.

The Government’s Covid-19 strategies align with global best practice: protecting Indians against Covid-19, by minimising their chances of catching it. To boost local authority capacities in achieving this, the Government is leveraging the power of technology.

Drones offer an answer. Using drones, authorities could spray disinfectant over large, crowded, vulnerable urban areas: protecting city-dwellers from Covid-19, while reducing human contact to keep frontline workers safe.

Helping Garuda Aerospace, a Chennai-based drone startup, respond to Varanasi’s interest in such disinfection: the team worked with Central, State, and local government authorities to help get Garuda’s technologies and personnel to Varanasi. The team monitored and supported every step of this exercise: helping Government and innovator collaborate to fight Covid-19 together.

Drone operations in Varanasi have just commenced. The team will now extend similar capabilities to more cities across India.

This forms part of a wider effort to use innovative technology, via Government-innovator collaboration, to reinforce Indian authorities’ fight against Covid-19.