Mumbai: Weeks after a pushback from the drone industry, BJP MP Dhananjay Mahadik has urged IT minister Ashish Shelar to put the state’s drone policy on immediate hold until an inclusive and transparent review is conducted.Mahadik demanded that the state government initiate an inquiry into the conflict of interest of consultants involved in drafting the policy and remove them from the process.In his letter to Shelar, Mahadik said: “The recently released Maharashtra Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drone) Policy has caused severe anxiety among local MSMEs, drone training operators, and women entrepreneurs. Maharashtra has consistently championed youth empowerment, tech-led growth, and women’s entrepreneurship. However, the administrative process followed by the IT Department while drafting this policy has suffered from major procedural lapses and a non-transparent approach that directly threatens our state’s industrial interests. A policy that favors select vested interests over our local entrepreneurs risks forcing our vibrant MSME ecosystem and women-led startups to relocate to other states, which would be detrimental to Maharashtra’s economic progress.”He asked Shelar to direct the IT department to include all Maharashtra-based drone training operators and MSME stakeholders in all upcoming consultations and establish a drone industry task force directly under the minister to oversee a fair review and ensure robust implementation.Leading drone manufacturers and drone pilot training organisations had slammed the recently released Maharashtra Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drone) Policy saying the sector is facing a severe crisis due to its complete exclusion from the policy. Drone training companies had said that the policy does not address any of the 25 suggestions and demands requested by the sector.Following their complaints against the policy, Shelar had directed that joint meetings be organised between officials and industry representatives.Mahadik alleged that overlooking Shelar’s explicit instructions for a transparent, joint consultation, the meeting convened by IT secretary Virendra Singh on July 28 selectively included several companies based outside Maharashtra and completely excluded local drone training operators.“There was a fiery meeting on July 28 that saw tense, fiery arguments between the drone industry manufacturers, drone industry training operators and Singh. Major concerns were raised by drone industry representatives who spoke clearly about the conflict of interest of consultants who were hired to draft the policy. They pointed out that the drone industry in Maharashtra had suffered almost Rs 500 crore in losses due to the three-year delay in announcing the policy. They highlighted almost Rs 50 lakh daily loss being suffered by the industry due to the lack of a clear, coherent, industry-friendly drone policy,” said a representative who was present at the meeting.Singh did not respond to queries from TOI.BJP MP Dhananjay Mahadik’s demands:* Place the current Maharashtra Drone Policy on immediate hold until an inclusive and transparent review is conducted* Initiate an inquiry into the conflict of interest in awarding the consultancy and remove current consultants from the policy process* Direct IT department to include all Maharashtra-based drone training operators and MSME stakeholders in all upcoming consultations* Establish a Drone Industry Task Force directly under the IT minister to oversee a fair review and ensure robust implementation
