New Delhi: In a major step towards women-led technological empowerment, FICCI FLO has signed three landmark Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Garuda Aerospace, NEOSKY India and YRG to launch one of India’s most ambitious drone skill development programmes for women. The initiative aims to train 1,000 DGCA-certified women drone pilots by March 2027 across the country.
The MoUs were signed in New Delhi by Pooja Garg along with Deki Yangtso Chawla. Representatives from partner organisations included Ritika Agniswar, Co-founder of Garuda Aerospace, Sarath Chandra, CEO of NEOSKY India, and AK Srikrishnan, COO of YRG.
Calling the initiative a transformational national mission, Pooja Garg said India’s drone revolution is no longer a distant dream but a policy-backed reality inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Drone Didi” vision. She noted that programmes such as Skill India Mission and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao have laid the foundation for empowering women through technology-driven opportunities.
She said the FLO initiative would convert this national vision into grassroots action by preparing certified women drone pilots and deploying them across FLO’s 22 chapters nationwide. According to her, the programme will not only equip women with high-demand technical skills but also create sustainable livelihood opportunities in emerging sectors.
Speaking about the collaboration, Ritika Agniswar of Garuda Aerospace said the company would provide DGCA-approved training infrastructure, technical expertise and operational support to develop highly skilled drone operators. Sarath Chandra of NEOSKY India stated that the organisation’s nationwide training ecosystem would ensure quality, consistency and strategic reach for the programme.
AK Srikrishnan of YRG said the NGO would handle beneficiary outreach, documentation and regulatory compliance to ensure deserving women gain access to the initiative.
India’s drone sector is projected to become a ₹30,000-crore industry by 2030, with applications in agriculture, logistics, surveillance, infrastructure inspection and disaster management. FLO leaders said the initiative represents a long-term national investment in building a strong ecosystem of women-led drone professionals.
Deki Yangtso Chawla described drone technology as a defining frontier of India’s economic future and said the programme ensures women will not remain on the margins of technological advancement but will lead it from the front.
