Officials at two of Kohima's technology institutions spent Monday walking Nagaland Governor Nand Kishore Yadav through the state's growing drone ecosystem, from mapping surveys to pilot certification courses, as part of a review of how far the sector has come.
Two centres, one mission
The Governor's stops included the Nagaland GIS & Remote Sensing Centre (NGISRSC) and the Drone Centre of Excellence, both of which operate under the Planning & Transformation Department of the Nagaland government. Officials at the centres used the visit to lay out the progress made in building drone-based skills, real-world applications and employment pathways for the state's youth.
From a mapping unit to a training hub
Nagaland's engagement with drone technology traces back to the setting up of a dedicated Drone Unit, originally created to handle mapping, surveying and geospatial data acquisition. Over time, that unit expanded into research and development work, partnering with multiple stakeholders and government departments along the way, and gradually earned recognition across the region for its UAV training work. That early Drone School has since grown into the full-fledged Centre of Excellence, a shift intended to produce skilled manpower and open up career routes in employment, entrepreneurship, start-ups and public-sector drone deployments.
What the courses cover
The Centre now runs Remote Pilot Certificate courses that comply with Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) norms, covering both small and medium category drones. Alongside these, trainees can take up First Person View (FPV) flying, drone repair and maintenance, GIS-based drone survey and mapping, drone cinematography and hands-on avionics instruction.
The numbers behind the push
As part of the effort to widen skill development among young people, 70 candidates have been picked for various drone-related courses under the Nagaland Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Mission (NSEDM). The Centre of Excellence has, so far, seen 72 trainees complete their drone training. Officials view the Centre as a key building block in positioning Nagaland as a regional hub for drone skills, innovation and applications, while opening up fresh, technology-driven livelihood and entrepreneurship options for the state's youth.
Governor's message to the centres
Governor Yadav praised the work being carried out at NGISRSC and the Drone Centre of Excellence, and stressed the need to build a workforce that can keep pace with rapid technological change. He pointed out that drone technology now has applications spanning agriculture, infrastructure, disaster management, environmental monitoring, cinematography and geospatial mapping, calling it an important emerging field for both governance and employment. He also encouraged the centre to keep strengthening its activities and capabilities going forward.
