India’s North Central Railway (NCR) has conducted a live demonstration of drone-based solar panel cleaning at Subedarganj Station in Prayagraj under its Solar Mission. The drone, weighing 19 kg without water, carried a 10-litre tank, had four nozzles, and operated for about 22 minutes per charge. It was controlled with GPS-based remote systems and cleaned panels installed on station buildings and platform shelters. Officials said the trial showed efficient cleaning with minimal water and no chemicals, and some design improvements were suggested. NCR planned to expand the use of this technology across its network. From April to August 2025, NCR generated 53.1 lakh units of energy from 13.7 MW installed solar capacity across station and headquarters buildings.