Union Minister Scindia launches drone experience studio, says India to become global drone hub by 2030

New Delhi [India], May 10 : India will soon witness a higher number of industries embracing drone innovation to make India a global drone hub by 2030, said Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday adding that it will lead to a revolution that will touch the life of every citizen, realizing the PM's goal of an Aatmabirhar Bharat.
In his address at the inaugural event of an experience studio on drones at NITI Aayog, Scindia said, "It is the resolve of PM Modi to make India the International Drone Hub leader by 2030. We have to lead the world in this field. Our Ministry is working along with NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant."
"It is imperative for us to boost the usage of drones in different industrial- and defence-related sectors to leverage the benefits of this technology, as highlighted by Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We are actively working towards making drone services easily accessible," he added.
He further said in his speech that the government will enable the continuity of this accelerated drone adoption by easing drone regulations and through drone literacy via programmes such as Drone Shakti and Kisan Drones. The drone industry is set on exponential growth with the efforts and active participation of drone industry stakeholders and the Government of India.
"We are taking this forward on the basis of three wheels. First, Policy: We are implementing policies quickly. Second, the creation of incentives: We have implemented a PLI scheme, that will boost manufacturing and services. Third, generate demand: 12 Ministries have tried to create demand," Scindia added.
Minister praised NITI Ayog for hosting the event and said that such events enable knowledge sharing, and exchange of ideas, as well as fuel the innovation and growth in the drone ecosystem.
"The cutting-edge experience studio at NITI Aayog is a symbol of technology excellence, which I am sure, will inspire curious minds to resolve real-world problems," Scindia added.
On the occasion, Scindia also announced the launch of 'Drones for Social Impact Competition' for the start-up community to showcase their capabilities to solve critical problem statements in various use cases and 'Robotics Workshop and Competition' for students of Atal Tinkering Labs to foster the spirit of innovation and problem-solving.
He said that NITI Ayog will hold these challenges in collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and assured that MoCA will extend all the support required for these competitions as well as for organizing other events planned during the month to help develop the ecosystem.
During the inaugural event, NITI Aayog Vice Chairperson Suman Bery and CEO Amitabh Kant were also present.
Vice Chairperson of NITI Aayog, Suman Bery said that drones are expected to be significant creators of employment and economic growth due to their reach, versatility, and ease of use, especially in India's remote and inaccessible areas.
"The NITI experience studio launched today shall help promote various applications of drone technology to public and private stakeholders as well as help them fast-track adoption of drone technology within their organisations and aid in building a robust drone industry in India," he added.
CEO of NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant stressed the need for such a studio for start-ups and enterprises to showcase their innovations and next-gen technology-enabled solutions.
"It will allow various government departments to experience these technologies first-hand and think about how they can be contextually used on the ground in public services," he said.
Amitabh also said that the experience studio will act as an anchor for initiating proofs-of-concept and pilots aimed at solving issues that persist in service deliveries adding, "smaller focused cohorts will be created through the experience studio, which will eventually help in mainstreaming these solutions once they are field-ready."