On 15th November 2022, in a function held at Adhivesan Bhawan in Patna Aileron Aviation Private Limited received Bihar Startup recognition certificate and became the first recognised startup to work in the drone manufacturing segment.

Aileron Aviation is focused on creating a bundled UAV product which would be compact, elegant, easy to operate and equipped with modern edge drone
technology We are focused to create such products solutions which would be supporting public agencies and businesses with their goals and problems Drones/UAVs, survey and mapping consulting, as well as professional and industrial training services will also be part of our organization In India, the use of drones has been gradually rising in various applications, especially in non commercial applications for aerial cinematography, land surveys, agriculture mining activities, disaster management, construction activities and mapping national highways and railway tracks According to a July 2021 report by BIS Research, the global drone market, which is currently dominated by the US, China and Israel, is estimated to reach US 28 47 billion in FY 21 22 with India likely to account for 4 25 share.

Aggregates and mining sites are complex structures composed of  many moving parts. If any one part of a system were to be knocked  out of alignment, it could ripple across the entire business and result in  significant financial loss. To avoid this, business leaders need to seek out  new technologies to help them identify flawed processes or potential  problems before they occur. Drone technology, which is well suited to dynamically changing and  dangerous environments, is proving to be the most valuable tool available today.

Drone technology combined with geospatial software and analysis can make aggregates and mining companies more profitable through three things:

1. Strengthening inventory data accuracy & reliability
2. Increasing frequency & consumption, and
3. Improving worker safety

Let’s dive into each of these.

Strengthen inventory data accuracy & reliability: Reduce costs and strengthen inventory confidence with highly accurate data.

The quality and accuracy of inventory data can make or  break a P&L. When it comes to assessing credible and  accurate volume calculations, the type of equipment and  method of data processing will have significant impact.  Yet, many aggregates and mining companies rely on  traditional surveying methods like walking around a site to take manual measurements. These methods have been  proven to deliver limited accuracy, accounting for only 75-85% of the true pile volume. This gap in true inventory knowledge opens companies up to financial risk. Traditional methods just aren’t keeping up with today’s  business. Done solutions use the highest grade industrial sensors and proprietary, purpose-driven  algorithms to measure piles within 97-99% accuracy  of the true volume.

With Drones you can:

• Confidently report production levels to auditors, shareholders and business teams
• Realize cost savings from less material degradation, and
• Reduce labor costs through an easier inventory management process

Increase frequency & consumption: Easily capture enough data to identify patterns and make intelligent decisions.

To make intelligent business decisions, aggregates and mining  companies need more than just accurate data – they need access to timely, consistent data in order to identify trends and observe larger  patterns. Limited datasets provide a limited view, making operational and financial decisions a challenge. Cumbersome survey systems that need specialized training or a lot of time to use only contribute to the  problem by encouraging fewer inventory cycles. This in turn provides  management with only small snapshots in time, leaving businesses without the insights they need most.

A drone can be deployed on-demand, up to six times faster than traditional survey methods. Quick and easy to use, it encourages more frequent and regular data capture, at a more granular level. With this option you can:

• Eliminate missed revenue opportunities
• Improve customer relationship through properly filled orders, and
• Improve dataset consistency for better identification of inventory issues.

Improve worker safety: Protect employees by using an automated system that operates above the worksite.

Employees are the most valuable and important asset of  any company, but the reality of the aggregates and mining  industry is that it can be dangerous. It requires operating  heavy equipment at high speeds to stockpile or move  overburden and source materials. Manual surveys done on  or near active traffic areas and hazards such as high walls can also pose great physical risk to the workers taking  the measurements.

Drones allows businesses to better protect their workers by using a completely autonomous system to collect high-resolution imagery from safely above active operation sites. The ability to visualize and analyze the site in 3D and in near real time gives your team the chance to make different and better decisions about how to manage the site. Whether your team is collecting the data or our team is collecting the data, drones make mines and quarry’s a safer place to work. This can all you to:

• Decrease insurance premiums by reducing on-site foot traffic
• Improve traffic routes, optimize haul roads and stockpile locations and efficeintly plan emergency egress routes, and
• Reduce liabilities by identifying hazardous areas before they become a problem.

Flying logistics drones over rivers will reduce the risk of damage from falls of the aircraft and cargo, officials from the ministry said, adding that there are fewer obstacles over rivers.

Drones are increasingly used for transporting goods to and from remote islands and mountainous areas.

They are also expected to be used widely in urban areas in the future amid a surge in demand for delivery services and a shortage of logistics workers, and areas over rivers could be major flight routes for drones, the officials said.

In the city of Ina, Nagano Prefecture, delivery services using drones flying over the Mibu River started in 2021.

The ministry plans to conduct an experiment for drone flights over rivers from the second half of fiscal 2022 in cooperation with local governments and the private sector, the officials said. It will solicit participants until late this month.

After the experiment, participants will hold meetings to share the results and challenges, with the aim of creating manuals for drone flights over rivers and coming up with support measures for necessary facilities and equipment such as places for landings and takeoffs, according to the officials.

Here is the breakdown of the technology generations:

• Generation 1: Basic remote control aircraft of all forms
• Generation 2: Static design, fixed camera mount, video recording and still photos, manual piloting control
• Generation 3: Static design, two-axis gimbals, HD video, basic safety models, assisted piloting
• Generation 4: Transformative designs, Three-axis gimbals, 1080P HD video or higher-value instrumentation, improved safety modes, autopilot modes.
• Generation 5: Transformative designs, 360° gimbals, 4K video or higher-value instrumentation, intelligent piloting modes.
• Generation 6: Commercial suitability, safety and regulatory standards based design, platform and payload adaptability, automated safety modes, intelligent piloting models and full autonomy, airspace awareness
• Generation 7: Complete commercial suitability, fully compliant safety and regulatory standards-based design, platform and payload interchangeability, automated safety modes, enhanced intelligent piloting models and full autonomy, full airspace awareness, auto action (takeoff, land, and mission execution)

The next generation of drones, Generation 7, is already underway, as Industry announced the world’s first all-in-one Smart Drone called Solo. Smart drones with built-in safeguards and compliance tech, smart accurate sensors, and self-monitoring are the next big revolution in drone technology that would provide new opportunities in transport, military, logistics, and commercial sectors.

On its part, the Civil Aviation Ministry projects that India’s drone industry could see total turnover worth INR 120 billion to 150 billion (US$1.63 billion to US$2.04 billion) by 2026 assisted by the PLI Scheme, which has a budget allocation of INR 1.2 billion (US$16.32 million) spread over three years (information on how the scheme works is covered in a later section below). Drone makers in India currently have a turnover of about INR 800 million (US$10.88 million).

At a press briefing on Thursday, September 16, the Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said, “With Drone Policy (Rules) and Drone PLI scheme, we have an aim that drone manufacturing companies in India should reach a turnover of ₹900 crore [INR 9 billion (US$122.44 million)] in the coming three years.” This will be a cumulative result of the development of a “value chain in the drone industry”, covering “hardware (drone manufacturing), software, and service delivery.”

Prior to the Drone Rules 2021, the sector saw limited funding opportunities, with B2B startups attracting the bulk of any venture capital interest and overall limited scope for innovation in the industry. In fact, compared to investment in India’s drone startups (US$16.56 million), China’s drone startups had attracted 14x more investment between 2014-18, at about US$239 million.