With emphasis on modernisation in aerospace, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drones are playing significant role. They are not just employed for military purposes, but also for logistics, the delivery of healthcare, and in the agriculture and mining industries, said an industry leader.
In an exclusive interview with TechObserver.in, Amar Singh Chandel, AVP – Corporate Affairs, Reliance Industries said that drone and UAVs are the future. “Drone is something which not only has usage in defence but it is also used in civilian purposes like for logistics, healthcare delivery and, it can be used in agriculture and mining sectors,” he said.
Edited Excerpts:
During your panel discussion on the defence startup, you emphasised the increasing significance of drone. Why do you believe drones are gaining so much traction and how does Reliance view this industry?
Drone and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are the future. Drone is something which not only has usage in defence but it is also used for civilian purposes like for logistics, healthcare delivery and, it can be used in agriculture and mining sectors. The use cases for drone application are enormous and there are lot of on-ground work is happening in India in this space. So this traction is natural.
As far as Reliance Industries is concerned, as you know, Reliance is one of the oldest and biggest company of India. We understand the power of drones and UAVs and the kind of impact it can bring to the country’s indigenisation dream. That is why we have got into this segment.
How far has the Reliance gotten with drone production in the country?
We fully believe in ‘Make in India’ and we would like to provide our know-how, collaboration capabilities and deep investment into the sector. We have started manufacturing small drones and micro drones and are currently supplying to to defence forces as well as various police organisations and other stakeholders.
What is currently visible in the drone space is merely the beginning. We feel it has enormous future potential to affect a variety of sectors. By entering this industry and manufacturing drones, we want to demonstrate our commitment to the nation’s development.
As a Reliance, what kind of experience do you have in this space?
As I earlier said we fully believe in ‘Make in India’ and we are working to provide our know-how and collaboration capabilities in this space. Drone is a tool that we employ for our own purposes. Reliance’s Petrochemical Refinery is one of the largest refineries in the world, and there, drones play an important role.
You have attended National DefTech Summit 2022; how has been your experience?
I must commend the summit organiser. This is a very organised event, the presenters are outstanding, and they have addressed and captured nearly every pain points of the defence business. This is something we must continue to address. I really loved it, and I hope that it will bring about some change in the government’s policy-making process, as well as some change or learning for new startups and enterprises seeking to enter the defence sector in the country.
