High Commission of India  

Suva  

Press Release  

Government of India Gifts twelve agricultural drones to Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC)  Suva, 25 September 2026 

In response to a request from the Fiji Sugar Corporation the Government of India today  gifted twelve agricultural drones to the FSC.

2. The High Commissioner of India to Fiji, His Excellency Mr. Suneet Mehta, formally handed  over the drones to the Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Sugar Industry, Hon. Tomasi  Tunabuna, at a ceremony held at the FSC Training Centre in Lautoka. The ceremony was  attended by Mr. Bhan Pratap Singh, CEO of the Fiji Sugar Corporation, along with senior  executives of the FSC, SRIF, CAAF, senior government officials, and officers from the High  Commission of India. 

3. A traditional welcome ceremony was organized in the honour of the High Commissioner.  In his welcome address, Mr. Bhan Pratap Singh, CEO of the Fiji Sugar Corporation said that this  will be first time spray technology will be used for the sugarcane farming in Fiji. 

4. Speaking on the occasion, High Commissioner Suneet Mehta highlighted the special and  historic ties between India and Fiji, underscoring the broad and enduring partnership between the  two countries, including in the area of agricultural cooperation. He recalled the visit of the hon.  minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Sugar Industry to New Delhi in January this year to  participate in Indusfood 2026. He further added that the handover of these drones is particularly  meaningful because it is part of a broader cooperation for Fiji’s agricultural sector announced  during the visit of the Hon. Prime Minister of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka, to India in August last year. The  handover of 12 agricultural drones today fulfills that commitment. 

5. India’s long-standing agricultural and sugar sector cooperation with Fiji focuses on a  holistic blend of material support, advanced technology and capacity building. This enduring  partnership encompasses key initiatives such as the donation of seeds including five metric  tonnes of cowpea seeds alongside mobile soil-testing laboratories, financial assistance and  specialized training programs like those hosted for Fijian sugarcane farmers at the National Sugar  Institute in Kanpur under the ITEC framework. By pairing state-of-the-art equipment with rigorous  knowledge transfer and upcoming initiatives like handing over additional mobile testing labs to  the Sugarcane Research Institute, India continues to reinforce sustainable, tech-enabled  agricultural growth and productivity across Fiji. 

6. In his remarks, the Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Sugar Industry, Hon. Tomasi  Tunabuna, expressed his sincere appreciation to the Government of India for its generous and  timely assistance, noting that it reflects the enduring friendship between the Republic of Fiji and  the Republic of India. He stated that the drones would help enhance sugarcane production in Fiji. 

He also acknowledged the long-standing cooperation between the two governments and  expressed confidence that the partnership would continue to grow in the years ahead. 

7. A team of trainers from India will be visiting Fiji soon for training the operators of  Agricultural Drones.