India's indigenous drones set to take flight but concerns remain: Experts

Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said last month that India will need approximately one lakh drone pilots in the coming years

With a growing indigenous base of manufacturers, India's drone industry may play an instrumental role in public services such as agriculture, defence, healthcare and infrastructure maintenance in the future, say experts while also highlighting some concerns around the safety and privacy of these unmanned aerial vehicles.

Drones are mini pilotless aircraft operated by remote control and can be accessed through simple devices like a smartphone app.

These unmanned vehicles require far less effort, time and energy, and can reach far and difficult terrains while being controlled by a single person remotely.­­

Popularity and adoption of drone technology is catching up across regions and sectors and India is no exception to it. Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said last month that India will need approximately one lakh drone pilots in the coming years.

In order to showcase the potential of the indigenous drone industry, India recently organised its biggest drone festival in the national capital.

Bharat Drone Mahotsav, a two-day event held on May 27 and 28 in the capital saw over 1,600 delegates, including government officials, foreign diplomats, PSUs, private companies and drone startups etc. as participants.

The companies exhibited unmanned vehicles ready for fields such as defence, agriculture, survey mapping while also showcasing futuristic cutting edge projects that will entail the drones taking bigger roles such as carrying patients in emergencies to delivering goods and essentials at a mass level.