The Centre-run flight training institute Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA) here on Saturday announced its expansion plan to begin drone pilot training courses, a first of its kind initiative by a government body.
The premier aircraft pilot training institute in Uttar Pradesh had recently entered into an agreement with Delhi-based private firm Drone Destination for the collaborative effort.Noting that drones are an “absolutely new and emerging area with immeasurable potential and opportunities”, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola said “making of drones is becoming a reality in India”.“We led the software revolution, and in the drone revolution also we have the potential of becoming number one. In that direction, we have taken a small step. The first thing is even drone operations require pilots and one of the first training centres for drones is being established in IGRUA,” Kharola said.
“The entire regulatory framework for drones has been put in place and very soon drones would be regulated, monitored, observed and controlled just as is being done for aircraft,” he added.
He also noted that in the coming years, the number of drones flying in the Indian skies may go into hundreds of thousands and their monitoring would be a challenge.
