Drone industry seeks favourable policies, incentives, component ecosystem to push domestic manufacturing

New Delhi, Jul 4 (PTI) The drone industry players on Thursday demanded more favourable policies, incentives, and a component ecosystem within the country to promote indigenisation in the sector.

According to global data and business intelligence platform Statista, the Indian drone market is projected to generate a revenue of USD 27 million in 2024, with a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 5.96 per cent from 2024 to 2028.

“Addressing a summit at Drone International Expo 2024 in Delhi, industry experts today demanded better incentives and more favourable policies supporting robust component manufacturing in India for complete indigenisation,” organiser Nexgen Exhibitions said in a statement.

The two-day Drone International Expo 2024 beginning Thursday is showcasing the latest innovations from over 25 countries, including the UK, USA, Israel, Poland, Croatia, UAE, Germany, Canada, Singapore, Brazil, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

“One key area to promote the indigenisation of the industry is to support it by creating a conducive growth environment for the domestic component and technology manufacturing in India. We need more investments in R&D of flight controllers, motors, batteries, and various other components,” said M Sundararaj, Executive Director of drone manufacturing company Infinity Arsenal Pvt Ltd.

Incentivisation of technology is the key and the government should create more incubation and technology centres in the drone segment, said G Ravi Chand, Vice President, Dhaksha Drones.

Piloting of drones is not a skill which is readily available in the Indian market and we need more experts in this field.

“It needs a lot of high skill, where people are flying complex drones. So I think the government should look into how to make that field far more lucrative for pilots and aspiring pilots who want to get into this industry,” said a spokesperson of ideaForge.

Over 200 national and international drone manufacturers are showcasing their product innovations at the expo.

The drone expo, which is coinciding with The International Police Expo 2024, also highlights innovative solutions from leading manufacturers, emphasizing advancements in surveillance and long-endurance capabilities, the event organiser said in its statement.

Modern terrorist activities are increasingly sophisticated, utilizing asymmetric tactics that pose significant challenges to traditional security measures, the statement said.

The International Police Expo 2024 and Drone International Expo aim to overcome these traditional security challenges by modernizing India’s counter-terrorism and law enforcement capabilities with the help of cutting-edge drone technologies.

Integrating advanced technologies into counter-terrorism and law enforcement capabilities can proactively address security vulnerabilities, ensuring a robust and dynamic response to terrorism, it added.