New Delhi-based Marut Drones has launched Seedcopter 2.0 – India’s first reforestation drone.
Tech-enabled drones:
Seedcopter’s approach is a blend of community science and advanced technology.
The drone uses aerial surveys and mapping to provide topography, soil conditions, and vegetation insights for informed seeding decisions. They distribute seeds with precision, ensuring even distribution and higher germination rates. Post-planting monitoring helps assess success and refine future strategies.
Community empowerment and SDGs:
Marut has empowered 15,000 women across 200 communities.
Drones are designed to efficiently and cost-effectively disperse seed balls in challenging terrains, reducing the time and labor required for afforestation in remote areas.
It wants to empower 1400 districts to contribute to reforestation and improve socio-economic conditions by actively engaging local communities in seedball preparation.
The company said that the drone is available as-a-service to the corporate sector. The drone will enable enterprises to actively engage in CSR activities and reforestation efforts. The activities also align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 13, 15, 17 & 9) and actively enable the management to manage their carbon footprint.
Hara Bhara Campaign:
Marut Drones successfully used Seedcopter for its ‘Hara Bahara’ campaign, planting over one crore trees across India in 2022. The company aims to restore 900 forests by 2030.
Deforestation remains a pressing global concern. According to market reports, the world lost 1.3 million sq. km. of forest cover between 1990 and 2016. As a result, a staggering 15 billion trees were lost to deforestation annually.
Celeb ambassadors:
Notable environmentalists like Padmashree Jadav Payeng from Assam, popularly known as the Forest Man of India, and Padmashree Daripalli Ramaiah from Telangana are key ambassadors for ‘Hara Bahara’ campaign.
Renowned actor and environmental advocate Rana Daggubati, said, “At the heart of sustainable change lies community collaboration and empowerment. Marut Drones has developed an innovative and scalable solution for reforestation and revegetation that is faster and cheaper than traditional manual planting practices. By actively involving rural women to procure mass seedlings, the company is sowing the seeds of a greener future by making it a community exercise.”
Prem Kumar Vislawath, CEO, Marut Drones, said, “With Seedcopter, we are not just planting trees; we are sowing hopes of replanting a forest, one drone at a time. By making Seedcopter 2.0 available as a service for corporate entities, we aim to extend the reach of drone technology, inviting more stakeholders to contribute to India’s green cover.”