Government is implementing SwaYaan project to promote human resource development through capacity building in education, training, and research in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
In a reply to Lok Sabha on March 25, 2026, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada submitted that 32,000 beneficiaries have been trained on drones through 900+ activities across multiple program categories.
The project is implemented through a hub-and-spoke model of a network of 30 premier institutions such as IITs, NITs, IIITs, etc., where dedicated drone laboratories are being established.
Training and research are structured around five core work themes, namely:
- Drone Electronics
- Guidance, Navigation & Control Algorithms
- Aeromechanics
- Drone Applications
- Allied UAS Technologies
These core themes focus on training students, faculty, researchers, and professionals through M.Tech in UAS, a new program available at IIT Kanpur, and via other minor degrees, certification courses, bootcamps, and workshops.
It promotes research and development, 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.
Under NIDAR, students from pan-India participated in developing autonomous drone solutions for real-world challenges in disaster response and precision agriculture.
The reply includes a link to the official website of SwaYaan to carry out any further queries.
