The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has declared a tie-up with IG Drones, a drone technology startup, to set up Drone Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in 50 engineering colleges in India.

The program plans to train 200 students from every participating college and eventually impart over 10,000 students with niche skills in drone technology, according to IG Drones. The scheme is complementary to the vision of the Indian government's "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India) and "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" (Self-Reliant India) where the skill gap for future technologies is bridged through youth being given advanced training in drone operations.

The new drone CoEs will be the hubs of innovation, providing on-site training and research facilities through which students will learn industry-focused skills and certificates in different aspects of drone technology such as manufacturing, operations, and applications. These centres aim to foster indigenous innovation and entrepreneurship, thus leading to the creation of a talented pool of personnel that can assist in high-impact industries such as logistics, agriculture, defense, disaster management, and urban planning.

Through the development of a strong educational foundation in drone technology, this partnership seeks to empower future engineers and innovators to fill the needs of a rapidly changing technological world.