Hop on drone tech bandwagon to take your career higher

CHENNAI: One of the hottest jobs that have come in the recent times is that of a drone pilots, who are increasingly becoming much in demand due to their rising demand. Apart from private companies, Tamil Nadu government, too, has taken a giant stride by launching Tamil Nadu UAV Corporation.

With the demand for such pilots growing exponentially and opportunities opening up for drone enthusiasts, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International claims that at least one lakh drone pilot jobs will be up for grabs by 2025. Noting that there are hundreds of job vacancies available already, industry experts said students can make a career as pilots and other jobs connected to this nascent sector.

According to them, the drone industry is expected to grow by 50 per cent in the next five years. To cater to the industry, drone making courses with a duration between six months and two years were developed.

The Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted authorisation to the Centre for Aerospace Research (CASR), MIT Campus, Anna University, to launch remote pilot training course in accordance with DGCA regulations and the issue of certificate/license. Following this, the CASR had recently organised a recruitment drive for the post of project and consultancy staff posts at its Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO).

For beginners, the drone companies would offer about Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 salary per month; this is expected to rise by 20 per cent every year.

Other than pilots, students can also join aviation industry and other sectors as drone technicians for different applications. Their career will progress further as senior technician and supervisor, and can rise up to the level of managers. They can also work in a drone service centre or start their own drone training centre and become entrepreneurs in the field, said experts.