Garuda Aerospace Trains Goa Women as Certified Drone Pilots

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Tuesday, 18 August 2026

Garuda Aerospace, in collaboration with the Goa Information Technology Development Corporation (GITDC) and the Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (DITE&C) is offering drone pilot training to the women in Goa, empowering them to acquire new skills and explore the field of technology and entrepreneurship.

The initiative aims to train 100 women every financial year in Goa and create 300 certified women drone pilots over three years, subject to statewide approval by DITE&C. The program is designed to connect women, particularly those from rural communities, with technology-led livelihoods, women-led entrepreneurship and new income-generation opportunities.

The first cohort of 12 women, recognised as the ‘Special 12’ by the Goa IT Minister, has successfully completed intensive training covering drone technology, flight simulation, assembly, maintenance, safety and practical flying. The newly trained women also demonstrated their flying capabilities before the Minister, showcasing their ability to independently operate drones.

Key Highlights
 

• Garuda Aerospace has initiated the ‘Drone Didi’ program in Goa
• The program aims to train 100 women every year
• First cohort of 12 women completed specialised drone training

The initiative reflects the growing role of women in technology, skill development and entrepreneurship, particularly in sectors that have traditionally seen limited female participation. By providing women with specialised drone-piloting capabilities, the program seeks to enable them to become technology users, service providers and potential entrepreneurs.

Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder & CEO, Garuda Aerospace, highlighted the wider social and economic significance of the program. He said, “The Drone Didi initiative is a powerful example of how technology can become an enabler of economic independence and social transformation.” He added that the real potential of drones lies not only in the technology but also in the opportunities they can create for communities.

Agnishwar further emphasised that certified drone skills can help women become technology users, service providers and entrepreneurs in their own right. He described the training of Goa’s first 12 Drone Didis as an important milestone towards building a more inclusive and technology-driven drone ecosystem.

The initiative also builds on wider efforts to make drone technology more accessible to women and rural communities. In 2024, Garuda Aerospace trained over 500 rural women in drone technology and has handed over 446 drones to women-led Self-Help Groups in 20 states to enable technology-based livelihoods under various initiatives including ‘Namo Drone Didi Yojana'.

The company also has plans for expanding women-focused skilling programs across various communities such as widows and women who are wives of Armed Forces personnel to get them trained to become drone pilots for free. These programs can provide pathways for women to enter into new jobs that are associated with emerging technologies, and to develop independent livelihood opportunities.

With the Goa initiative targeting 100 women annually, the program places women’s empowerment, digital skills, entrepreneurship and economic independence at the centre of an emerging technology opportunity. The first cohort of 12 women marks an early step towards creating a larger pool of certified women drone pilots and strengthening women’s participation in India’s evolving drone economy.