There has been recently a huge surge of interest in the Indian drone manufacturing industry, which is further fuelled by government initiatives. What stands out as per recent developments and reports is that none other than the tech giant Google is eying the market in India as well.
In order to position India as a global leader in the sector, the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme offering financial support to manufacturers. Such ambition is also backed by initiatives like “Drone Yatra” to train drone pilots and support agricultural applications.
Despite having as many as 380 drone startups, India still lags behind when it comes to the global numbers, especially from China. However, there is optimism instilled by the talks of Google entering into the space in India’s Tamil Nadu.
Google’s Entry Could Propel India as a Drone Powerhouse
Google’s entry would mean the below things:
- Liberalize the ecosystem: Google’s presence might encourage partnerships and innovation within the industry.
- Job creation: This goes unsaid that Google’s entry in to the market could create job roles like testing pilots and engineers could emerge with a larger manufacturing base.
- Global attention: Google in India would cause a ripple in the global waters and showcase India as a prominent player in the global drone market scene.
- Introduction of new technologies: Google’s expertise could lead to advancements in drone technology within India.
Google’s India Drone Entry Stirs Both Hope and Concerns
But everything that has a use, has a scope for misuse. Similarly, there are downsides to this too and concerns are below:
- Monopoly risk: There are fears of Google taking over the entire market and establishing a monopoly, hence experts urge the government and regulatory bodies to prevent the same.
- Competition fears: Some existing players worry about Google’s potential to disrupt their businesses, despite assurances that drone technology caters to diverse applications.
In nutshell, the entry of Google is definitely a big and positive step for India which has the power of boosting the adoption rates by attracting further investment and expertise.
With a growing number of start-ups and ambitious government plans, India’s drone industry seems poised for significant growth, what remains to be seen is if the nation could seize this chance to become a global leader in this space.