Dimapur: The Drone Centre of Excellence in Kohima has selected 70 candidates under the Nagaland Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Mission for training in various drone-related courses, while 72 trainees have already completed drone training under it, empowering Nagaland’s youth with drone technology.The initiative seeks to equip young people with advanced technological skills while promoting self-employment, start-ups and employment opportunities within and outside the State.Briefing governor Nand Kishore Yadav during his visit to the Nagaland GIS & Remote Sensing Centre and the Drone Centre of Excellence, Kohima, on Monday, officials of the centre highlighted Nagaland’s journey in adopting drone technology, which began with the establishment of a drone unit for mapping, surveying and geospatial data acquisition.The centre has since undertaken research and development programmes and collaborated with various stakeholders and government departments, gradually building regional recognition in UAV training.The drone school is evolving into a centre of excellence to create skilled manpower and open career pathways in employment, entrepreneurship, start-ups, and public-sector UAV deployments.It offers a range of specialised programmes, including DGCA-compliant remote pilot certificate courses for small and medium category drones, as well as training in First Person View (FPV) operations, drone repair and maintenance, GIS drone survey and mapping, drone cinematography and hands-on avionics.The future vision for NGISRSC includes the development of a State Geospatial Campus at Tuoliezou, Kohima, along with an Advanced Drone Technology and UAV Innovation Hub.The proposed facilities envision capabilities in AI-enabled drones, LiDAR, multispectral and thermal sensors, autonomous systems, fabrication, prototyping, repair and manufacturing, with applications across sectors including disaster response, agriculture, health and infrastructure.The governor appreciated the efforts being made to build a skilled workforce in emerging technologies and emphasised the importance of preparing Nagaland’s youth for future employment opportunities. He noted that drone technology has applications across diverse sectors, including agriculture, infrastructure, disaster management, environmental monitoring, cinematography and geospatial mapping.
