Shangliao Sun
Research expert covering India
Drone market in India - statistics & facts
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, are remotely controlled or self-piloted aircraft that can be used for various civilian and military applications. When it was first introduced in India, they were mainly used as defense equipment, but the applications have gradually expanded since then. Along with the growing applications, the market size has also been growing. It was estimated that by the year 2030, the Indian drone market in India would reach 2.5 trillion Indian rupees.
Drone usage in India
By the end of 2023, there were more than 13 thousand drones registered in India. During the same period, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) authorized 70 drone pilot training facilities in the country, with close to eight thousand pilots trained. Outside the military and security applications, more and more drones have been used in civilian capacities. In the commercial setting, drones have been used for delivery, including vaccines during the coronavirus pandemic, waste management, and crop spraying. In the consumer section, people started using drones for filming and flying them as a recreational activity. It is possible that drone sport could become an e-sport activity in the future.Drives behind the growth of the Indian drone industry
Along with the increasing number of drone applications, one of the leading factors behind the growth of the industry in India was favorable government policies. The central government of India aimed to make the country a global drone hub by 2030. Regulations regarding the usage and manufacturing of drones were liberalized. Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) for the drone industry was also eased to encourage investments. Another driving factor was the increasing number of companies and startups that started working on technologies and applications for drones. The investment in drone startups was estimated to reach nearly 50 million U.S. dollars in the financial year 2023. As a result of the increased public and private interests, research and development of drone technologies has been growing in the country.
