# Nagaland's drone training push draws praise from Governor Nand Kishore Yadav during Kohima visit

> Nagaland Governor Nand Kishore Yadav visited the Nagaland GIS & Remote Sensing Centre and the Drone Centre of Excellence in Kohima, where officials briefed him on the state's drone training programmes, including DGCA-compliant pilot courses and 72 completed trainees.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Nagaland · **Published:** 2026-09-08 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/nagaland/kohima-daure-men-nagaland-ke-drona-prashikshana-abhiyana-se-khusha-hue-rajyapala-nand-kishore-yadav-29513 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Nagaland drone technology, Drone Centre of Excellence Kohima, Nagaland GIS Remote Sensing Centre, DGCA Remote Pilot Certificate, Nagaland Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Mission, Governor Nand Kishore Yadav

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.

## What this means for you
The story matters most for young people in the Northeast who are looking at drone skills as a career option, and for anyone tracking how state governments are turning new technology into jobs.

- **Across India:** Nagaland's model shows how a state can build a DGCA-compliant drone training pipeline, from certification to cinematography and repair work. Other states running similar skilling missions may look at this Kohima setup as a template for linking drone courses to real employment and entrepreneurship outcomes.
- **In Nagaland:** Youth in and around Kohima now have a concrete route into the drone economy, with 70 candidates already picked for courses under the Nagaland Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Mission and 72 trainees having completed training so far. Anyone interested can look out for the next round of NSEDM-linked admissions at the Drone Centre of Excellence.
- **For job seekers:** A Remote Pilot Certificate from the centre is DGCA-compliant, meaning it can count toward formal eligibility for commercial small and medium drone operations, including survey, mapping and cinematography work.
- **For local industry:** Sectors like agriculture, infrastructure and disaster management in the state stand to gain trained drone operators for surveying and monitoring work as more trainees complete the programme.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. What did Nagaland Governor Nand Kishore Yadav do on Monday?
He visited the Nagaland GIS & Remote Sensing Centre and the Drone Centre of Excellence in Kohima to review the state's drone technology and geospatial work.

### 2. Which department runs these two centres?
Both operate under the Planning & Transformation Department of the Nagaland government.

### 3. What courses does the Drone Centre of Excellence offer?
It offers DGCA-compliant Remote Pilot Certificate courses for small and medium drones, plus training in FPV operations, drone repair and maintenance, GIS drone survey and mapping, drone cinematography and avionics.

### 4. How many trainees have completed drone training at the centre so far?
72 trainees have completed training at the Centre of Excellence so far.

### 5. How many candidates have been selected under the Nagaland Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Mission?
70 candidates have been selected for various drone-related courses under NSEDM.

### 6. What did the Governor say about drone technology's applications?
He said it has wide-ranging applications in agriculture, infrastructure, disaster management, environmental monitoring, cinematography and geospatial mapping.

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