In the pursuance of the ‘Act East’ policy and the aim to make India a drone tech hub, northeast India has got its first remote pilot training school. The IT Minister of Assam, Mr Keshab Mahanta inaugurated the drone school in Guwahati. Assam Electronics Development Corporation Limited (AMTRON) led the implementation of this programme. EduRade, a start-up incubated at IIT-Guwahati, and IIM-Calcutta Innovation Park were also a part of this project.
The news agency PTI reported that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) certified trainers will be deployed in these schools. They will conduct the pilot licence training program for the students. The IT Minister Mahanta said, “Youths, after getting training from experts, can work anywhere in the country and in any sector.”
While the school facility has been set up at the Tech City in Guwahati, its flying ground is at the Assam Forest School in Jalukbari. The officers specified that AMTRON obtained two micro categories (<2 kg) and two small categories (2-25 kg) of indigenous drones for the training purpose.
It must be noted that in 2021, Haryana inaugurated the first DGCA-approved drone training school in India. Now, a similar school in NE India will surely act as a growth booster for this sunrise sector.
