By Nidhi Goyal
Aerospace and defence specialist and Managing Partner, Avinav Consulting, New Delhi
While globally, aerospace and defence industry has been rapidly advancing with new technologies and artificial intelligence, the Indian Government is also focusing on indigenization of certain items with global cutting-edge technologies by manufacturing in the country under Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
One such area is mass requirement of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or Systems (UAVs or UAS(also called Drones). Though currently drones have been useful to combat Covid-19, it has a bigger application in war, reconnaissance and surveillance, communications, logistics, surveys, monitoring, etc. which is mix of military and civil application.
The UAVs are either fixed wing or of a multi rotor helicopter design. It comprises platform, payload, ground control station. It has an efficient use for achieving a digital and smart India.
Currently, national capability for UAS is very limited in design and engineering, system integration and aero structure manufacturing and no capability for manufacture of engines, systems and payloads indigenously. With foreign technical collaborations, such limitation can be overcome by the Indian industry and indigenization in UAVs can be achieved even at 80% level.
Though the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Commerce & Industry and Ministry of Defence are the authorities for giving approvals and licensing for manufacturing and use/flying of drones, however, the structured policies and procedures for drones manufacturing and services are yet to be formalized in India. The recent notifications to operationalise the Digital Sky Concept ofNo Permission No Fly to entire India classified as Orange and Green zones offers tremendous opprtunities for creating new businesses.
The demand of UAVs and its spares, services and upgrades is increasing and the opportunity is roughly envisaged around USD 18-40 Bn over 25 years. Start-ups – innovators and technocrats and MSMEs in India should come forward to grab this big business opportunity.
The complete supply chain of the manufacturing of drones should be located with factories and workshops in India.
Since it is a new business sector with high demand for next many years, the industry has got the right time to build up capabilities and meet the indigenous demand and become global market leader by exporting from India.