Today, the drone industry is one of India’s most thriving industries. The drone services market is expected to be worth USD 40.7 billion by 2026. There is a huge push from the government for the growth of the industry. Budget 2022 also placed a strong emphasis on the drone sector, launching a number of plans and measures to help the industry flourish.
With the rapid growth, the sunrise industry requires skilled professionals. There are various government and non-government organisations which are providing skill development training in drone technology.
To know more about the scope of skill development and training in the drone industry, Team NSN spoke with Mr. Dinakar Devireddy, Head, Drone Pilot Trainings and Services, Telangana State Aviation Academy who talks about various skill development initiatives by Telangana State Aviation Academy to produce an employable and future-ready workforce. Here are a few excerpts from our conversation.
You can watch full video on our YouTube channel.
Q: What is the scope for drone training in today’s scenario and how do you see the drones picking up this industry?
A: Drone training is slightly different from other training as drones are related to the Aviation sector. A regulatory body, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) controls the air space and hence, controls drones too. There is new civilian airspace for drones as space is needed for them to fly. The difference between drones and aircrafts is that drones are unmanned and aircrafts are manned equipment. Therefore, the rules that are prescribed for civilian aircraft, now apply to drones as well.
Drone training is not as simple as other training. Hence, DGCA has come up with a regulation where it has allowed certain companies like Flight Training Organisations (FTOs) to start training for drone pilots. All around India, around 30 FTOs have shown interest in providing training with the permission from DGCA.
According to drone rules, 2021, non-FTOs have also started drone pilot training and there are already a few flights training schools in Remote Pilot Training Organisations (RPTOs) which started with eight in number and increased to 30-40 all over India.
Q: What is the fee structure, duration of the course and industries involved with drones?
A: FTOs have started drone pilot training approved by DGCA. The fee structure for the drone training in India ranges from INR 48,000 to INR 65,000 as there are a few inherent costs related to infrastructure and equipment involved during the training process. However, Telangana State Aviation Academy has the lowest fee structure.
The duration of the pilot training course is five days. At the end of the fifth day, one can fly the drone without the help of an instructor. However, all the necessary skills needed to reach that level.
Currently, our academy is providing training to students in Visual Line of Sight (VLoS) flying and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLoS) flying.
Use of drones in various industries:
- Agriculture – Farmers are using drones to spray pesticides. From a regulator point of view, Agro drones are risk-free as they are flown at four to five feet above the ground. So even if something happens, the risk of drones getting damaged is low.
- Mining – A regulatory body for mining, the Indian Bureau of Mines has mandated the use of drones in mines to get certain information like the amount of ore removed from the mine and any other analytics.
- Construction – In the construction industry, drones are being used for inspection and mapping. India has launched a project called ‘SWAMITVA’ (Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) to establish clear ownership of the land in villages and provide proofs like Aadhar card.
- Healthcare – Drones are mostly used in remote areas to deliver emergency equipment/organs but the business model still needs to scale up.
Q: What is the future road map for a person after getting trained as a drone pilot?
A: There is a huge demand for drone pilots in various industry sectors. Drone technology is being used for Data Analytics, construction inspection, spraying pesticides and mine inspection to generate reports according to the insights taken through drones. Apart from ensuring employability, drone pilot training also creates entrepreneurship opportunities for the students. Most of our alumni are looking to start a service business, repair and service business, leasing drones, get into Data Analytics and more.
Q: Considering the courses like Data Analytics existing in drone pilot training academy, who can benefit from the training?
A: Drone pilot, Data acquisition is a domain-based skill. A person who already has experience in mapping or surveys will benefit from drone training. Drone training is mostly related to upskilling of already acquired skills. Domain drives the drone pilot career and enhances the level of skills.
Q: Is there training for analytical skills in drone technology?
A: Our academy is planning to start training in analytical skills in a month. After the training for the drone pilots, there are various photo geometric software for which domain experience is required. A person who already has experience in areas like civil engineering, political civil engineering is the right person to get trained in a drone pilot and Data Analytics as well.
Q: Do you think ITIs prosper in drone pilot training?
A: Drones are like any other equipment which will require maintenance and repair services when used continuously and in ITIs, the training involves the repair and maintenance skills. After the training, the ITI students will be high in demand to repair the damaged drone.
Q: Do you wish to share anything else with our audience?
A: The drone technology is here to stay as the government is also pushing towards its growth. We have one of the most liberal uses of drones in the world. Most of the companies are also getting funded for the past years. The drone ecosystem partners are also being encouraged through generous funding. here is a lot of scope and opportunities in this industry.
In Uttar Pradesh, the course of Drone Service Technician are being taught in the ITIs. In short time, we will be having a good pool of candidates which are trained in repair and maintenance skills and also to some extent the Flight part. Considering that Drone technology is being used for Data Analytics purpose and there is need to upskill candidates on various photo geometric softwares, we welcome such organization having their operations in Uttar Pradesh to take benefit of those skilled candidates and help them engage in getting meaningful job opportunities.