Drone technology has revolutionized the civil and defense sectors by increasing efficiency, reducing risk exposure and also improving capabilities. The use of drones in India is also seeing an increase, both in the military and civilian sectors. The IF uses remotely piloted aircraft extensively for intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance operations. His faith in India’s emerging drone design and development capabilities is underpinned by initiatives such as the Meher Baba Swarm Drone competition that has sought to harness this indigenous potential. Further iterations of this competition are currently underway.
To leverage its rich experience in using these unmanned platforms, the IAF is collaborating with the Drone Federation of India to co-host the ‘Bharat Drone Shakti 2023’. The event to be held on 25 and 26 September 2023 will be hosted at LAF Air Base in Hindan (Ghaziabad), where the Indian drone industry will give live aerial demonstrations.
“Bharat Drone Shakti 2023” will showcase the prowess of Indian drone industry at full capacity by hosting over 50 live aerial demonstrations showcasing survey drones, agricultural drones, firefighting drones, tactical surveillance drones, heavy cargo logistics drones, systems of roaming munitions, drone swarms and anti-drone solutions, and witness participation from over 75 startups and drone companies.
The event is expected to attract around 5,000 participants, including representatives of central government, state departments, public and private industries, armed forces, paramilitary forces, representatives of friendly countries, academics, students and drone enthusiasts. More importantly, “Bharat Drone Shakti 2023” will give a boost to India’s commitment to become a global drone hub by 2030.
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ABB/AM/SM