PM Modi's key focus is on drone sector, says Anurag Thakur at Elevate Expo Finale in Dubai

Dubai [UAE], March 29 : Floating the idea of investing in the drone sector to the global investors in the pitching session by Indian start-ups at Elevate Expo Finale in Dubai, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday said that the main focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on making drone policy.
"One of the new areas that PM Modi is focusing on is the drone sector. He spent a lot of time in the drone policy-making space. For the last 2 years he spent time focusing on that area as he understands the role that drones can play in India," said Thakur.
On the third day of his visit to Dubai, Thakur said Indian people in Dubai are the real brand ambassadors of India. The India Pavilion has been a huge crowd puller with 1.7 million visitors. The Minister added that India is celebrating 75 years of independence and the celebrations are taking place not just in India but abroad also.
During the pitching session by Indian start-ups, the minister stressed that PM Modi believes in breaking the taboos of the past and taking out-of-the-box and bold decisions be it unlocking of the Space sector for private players, or the Drone Policy. He said that the focus will be to strengthening the Innovative Starts-up ecosystem.
"Many startups in India have become unicorns. This speaks volumes of the ecosystem for startups in India. Most of you are aggregators. From the suppliers to the other end, you try to play a role, but we must broaden our horizon to see what the other areas where we can do well are," said the minister.
The Indian government is also discussing airspace management, the regulatory framework for the use of drones, their utility as future delivery systems, air passages in which drones can be allowed to operate regarding security issues.
Drones can be used for search and rescue, disaster response, asset protection, wildlife monitoring, firefighting, communications relay, healthcare and agriculture.
He also met Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh on 'The Global Reach of Indian Media and Entertainment Industry' at the India Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020.
"I just returned from the India Pavilion at Dubai Expo where I and Ranveer Singh represented Media and Entertainment sector and met industry leaders who had come with Union Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal across different fields. Some of them are first-generation entrepreneurs. But many are second or third-generation entrepreneurs. What few startups have achieved today, many generations could not in the earlier manufacture set up," said Thakur.
He also recalled PM Modi's statement which said that Indian youths are not job seekers but an employer, adding, "I am aware of the failure and success rates of startups. I'm reminded of what PM Modi says -- Today's youth is not a job seeker but an employer."
He urged Indian start-ups to do something that can bring change and can help in Ease of Doing Business.
"Please start something that can bring change and can help in Ease of Doing Business or to resolve the challenge like stubble burning. I met a company that came up with a new product to help farmers. I met a young entrepreneur who came up with nano fertilizer using nanotechnology, which the government will be using now. Can we do something to help the community and bring a long-awaited change?" said the minister.
Upon his arrival at the Dubai Expo, the Minister was greeted by a crowd of enthusiastic Indian expatriates outside the majestic Indian Pavilion. During the later part of the day, Thakur also visited the country pavilions of UAE, Saudi Arabia and Italy at the Dubai Expo.
The six-month-long Dubai Expo that commenced in October last year witnessed the participation of as many as 192 countries. Fifteen states and nine central ministries from India are participating in this expo, which will be ending on March 31, 2022.