Drone Industry Calls For Policy Support, Incentives To Boost Domestic Manufacturing
Over 200 national and international drone manufacturers are showcasing their product innovations at the expo.
Drone industry leaders at Drone International Expo 2024 in Delhi urged for enhanced policies, incentives, and a local component ecosystem to bolster sector indigenisation in India.
Organised by Nexgen Exhibitions, the summit highlighted demands for better governmental support to foster robust domestic manufacturing, aiming for complete self-reliance in drone technology. The event, spanning two days starting Thursday, features cutting-edge innovations from more than 25 countries, including the U.K., U.S., Israel, and the UAE, among others.
The Indian drone market is projected to generate a revenue of $27 million in 2024, growing at an annualised rate of 5.96% from 2024 to 2028, according to global data and business intelligence platform Statista.
"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," said M Sundararaj, executive director of drone manufacturing company Infinity Arsenal Pvt. "We need more investments in R&D of flight controllers, motors, batteries, and various other components."
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 of Dhaksha Drones.
Piloting of drones isn't a skill readily available in the Indian market and we need more experts in this field, he said.
"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, utilising 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 modernising 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.
(With inputs from PTI.)
