Rana Daggubati launches Seedcopter 2.0; India’s first afforestation drone services

HYDERABAD: Marut Drones, India's leading drone manufacturer, unveiled its ground-breaking product, the Seedcopter 2.0 - India's first afforestation drone, on Friday.

These drones were meticulously designed to disperse seed balls in challenging terrains, including valleys and foothills, providing access to even the most remote areas. The drones significantly reduce time and labour required for afforestation, offering an efficient and cost-effective solution.

The Seedcopter services would be available to corporate entities, allowing them to actively participate in CSR activities and reforestation efforts.

Marut aspires to bring together corporate entities and their dedicated CSR teams to take the services of Seedcopters in the reforestation journey, an activity that would align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 13, 15, 17 & 9) and actively participate in the management of their carbon footprint while making a lasting and transformative impact on the environment.

Deforestation remains a pressing global concern, with statistics revealing the loss of 1.3 million sq km. of forest cover between 1990 and 2016, resulting in the disappearance of a staggering 15 billion trees annually. In response to this environmental crisis, Marut Drones has been harnessing the power of Seedcopter 2.0 since 2021, which stands as a testament to how technology, combined with community engagement, can drive positive change, and mitigate the dire consequences of deforestation.

Marut Drones has successfully utilised the Seedcopter for its ongoing mission ‘Hara Bahara campaign’ to plant One Billion Trees by 2030. The notable achievement of planting more than one crore trees across 9 states like Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Assam in 2022 reflects the undeniable success of Seedcopter. Marut is on a mission to restore 900 forests through the 'Hara-Bahara' campaign and is already well underway.

Renowned actor and environmental advocate Rana Daggubati, joined forces with Marut Drones in 2021 to increase forest cover in India through rapid afforestation, using Seedcopter.

On the launch of Seedcopter 2.0, 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, Marut Drones is sowing the seeds of a greener future by making it a community exercise.”

Speaking on the launch Prem Kumar Vislawath, CEO of Marut Drones, expressed his enthusiasm for making Seedcopter 2.0 available for corporate use with a CSR perspective, stating, “With Seedcopter, we're not just planting trees but 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. As stewards of this planet, we have a duty to revive the forests we've lost.”

At the core of Seedcopter’s approach lies the fusion of community science and cutting-edge technology. So far, Marut has empowered 15,000 women across 200 communities, Marut’s mission is to empower women and communities in 1400 districts to act and contribute towards reforestation and has been actively engaging local communities to play a vital role in preparing the seed balls, contributing not only to ecological well-being but also uplifting the socio-economic conditions of communities involved.

Notable environmentalists like Padmashree activist Jadav Payeng from Assam, popularly known as the Forest Man of India, and Padmashree activist Daripalli Ramaiah from Telangana are key ambassadors for ‘Hara Bahara’ campaign.

Seedcopter embarks on their mission with a comprehensive aerial survey and mapping of target areas, providing invaluable insights into topography, soil conditions, and vegetation, enabling informed decisions during the seeding process.

Seedcopter releases them with precision, ensuring an even distribution across the target terrain, resulting in a higher germination rate and increased chances of tree growth. Post-planting monitoring with data hubs established to track the progress of the planted seeds is a crucial aspect of Marut Drones' efforts. This data-driven approach helps assess the success of afforestation efforts and fine-tunes strategies for future projects.