Parliament Question: Role of Drone Technology in Creating New Employment Opportunities

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5493 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 25.03.2026 ROLE OF DRONE TECHNOLOGY IN CREATING NEW EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES †5493. SMT. HEMA MALINI: Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) whether drone technology is playing a significant role in creating new employment opportunities in urban and semi-urban areas of the country; (b) if so, whether the Government is running special training programme for imparting training in drone operations and maintenance; (c) if so, the details of the employment opportunities created so far in Mathura district through drone technology; and (d) the number of people trained in Mathura district so far under the drone operations and maintenance training programme? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA) (a) to (d): Under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister, India has taken several steps to promote the drone industry. The aim is to make India a global drone hub and create a robust indigenous ecosystem. Drones are seeing rising adoption across key sectors like defence, law enforcement, logistics, agriculture, disaster management, etc. This growth is driving a rising demand for skilled manpower across various drone-related roles. Government of India has launched several training initiatives to build a skilled drone workforce. These programs are designed to cover drone operations, maintenance, and overall capacity building. These initiatives include Remote Pilot Training Organization (RPTOs), Namo drone Didi Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0) and SwaYaan - Capacity Building for Human Resource Development in Unmanned Aircraft System (Drone and Related Technology), etc. Remote Pilot Training: DGCA has issued Remote Pilot Training Organization (RPTO) authorization to impart training and issue Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC). The authorized remote pilots are free to undertake employment anywhere in the country on obtaining Remote Pilot Certificate.Currently, there are 251 authorized RPTOs in India and they have collectively trained 42,412 Remote Pilots. These include 53 Remote Pilots in Mathura District. Namo Drone Didi: Under the Namo Drone Didi Scheme, drones are supplied as a package, which includes training for one member of the Self Help Group (SHG) for 15 days. The training covers drone flying, provisions of the Drone Rules, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for nutrient and pesticide application, drone-flying practice for agricultural purposes, and minor repair and maintenance of drones. Under the Namo Drone Didi Scheme, 500 SHG members have been trained and certified as drone pilots. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0): The PMKVY 4.0 scheme of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) focuses on providing industry-aligned skill training in emerging technologies including drones through short-term courses. As on 31st December 2025, 25,791 candidates have been trained under Drone Technology related Job Roles under PMKVY; of which 4,731 candidates have been trained in Uttar Pradesh. SwaYaan – Capacity Building for Human Resource Development in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drone and Related Technology): Government is implementing SwaYaan project to promote human resource development through capacity building in education, training, and research in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). It is implemented through a hub-and-spoke model of a network of 30 premier institutions (IITs, NITs, IIITs, etc.), with dedicated drone laboratories established Training and research are structured around five core work themes, namely: Drone Electronics; GNC (Guidance, Navigation & Control) Algorithms; Aeromechanics; Drone Applications; and Allied UAS Technologies Focuses on training students, faculty, researchers, and professionals in UAS through programs covering - a new M.Tech in UAS (at IIT Kanpur), minor degrees, certification courses, bootcamps, and workshops Promotes research and development (R&D), ideas, innovation, and challenges such as National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research (NIDAR) organised through Drone Federation of India to strengthen India’s drone ecosystem Further details are available at https://swayaan.meity.gov.in/ More than 32,000 beneficiaries have been trained through 900+ activities across multiple program categories. In the State of Uttar Pradesh, a total of 1,457 beneficiaries have been trained including 75 beneficiaries from Mathura district.Under NIDAR, pan-India registrations of 3,448 students participated in developing autonomous drone solutions for real-world challenges in disaster response and precision agriculture. PUSHPAK- National Mission on Drone Technology-Towards Drone Excellence: Government started this initiative in consortium mode [with IIT Bombay, CDAC-Thiruvananthapuram, CDAC-Bengaluru, Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), IIT-Gandhinagar and Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education (KARE), Tamil Nadu. The objective of the project is to design, develop and demonstrate the indigenous technologies for the autonomous drone eco-system. Directorate General of Training (DGT): DGT has introduced new age /future skills courses under Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) to provide training in emerging areas including Drone Technician. Under CTS, 1423 candidates have been enrolled under Drone Pilot (Junior) & Drone Technician Trades from Sessions 2023 to 2025. PLI Scheme for Drones and Drone Components: Ministry of Civil Aviation has implemented a PLI Scheme for Drones and Drone Components (during FY 2021-22 to 2023-24) which has resulted in employment creation of 2650 persons. *******