AIF and Drone Federation of India to host ‘Bharat Drone Shakti 2023’

Indian Air Force (AIF) and Drone Federation of India have entered into a partnership to co-host 'Bharat Drone Shakti 2023' to better utilise unmanned platforms in the country.

The event will be organised at LAF airbase at Hindon (Ghaziabad) on 25 and 26 September 2023, with live aerial demonstration by the Indian drone industry.

Key participants of the program:

• 'Bharat Drone Shakti 2023' will host over 50 live aerial demonstrations showcasing the full potential of the Indian drone industry, including survey drones, agricultural drones, fire suppression drones, tactical surveillance drones, heavy-lift logistics drones, loitering munition systems, etc. There will be participation from over 75 drone start-ups and corporates along with demonstrations, drone groups and counter-drones.
• Around 5,000 people from Central Government, State Government departments, public and private industries, armed forces, paramilitary forces, representatives of friendly countries, academicians and students and people interested in drones are expected to attend the event.

Aim to make India a global drone hub by 2030:

• The most important aspect of this event is that 'Bharat Drone Shakti 2023' will promote India's commitment to become a global drone hub by 2030.

Drone Technology:

• Generally the term drone is used for operating unmanned aircraft.
• A drone can be remotely operated or, at advanced levels, fully automated, meaning it relies on sensors and a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) detector system for its operations and calculations.

Drone usage:

• Defence Sector: Drone systems can be used as weapons against terrorist attacks.
  • Extensive use of drones can be seen in the current Russia-Ukraine war. Along with this, it can be used to establish communication in remote areas and for counter-drone solutions.
  • Drones can be integrated into the national airspace system.
• Agricultural sector: With the help of drones, micronutrients can be sprayed in the agricultural sector.
  • It can also be used in surveys to identify challenges faced by farmers.
• Apart from this, drones are being used very rapidly today for purposes like law enforcement, government surveillance, healthcare delivery etc.