22/03/2022
The Tripura Government on Thursday announced the setting up of a Drone Centre at the Tripura Institute of Technology (TIT) to train students in Drone Technology.
The announcement was made in the proposed Budget for 2022-23 tabled by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Jishnu Devvarma.
He presented a Rs 26,892.67-crore tax-free Budget that has seen an increase of over Rs 4,000 crore over last fiscal's Budget estimates.
Tripura is the second state after Arunachal Pradesh trying to cash in on the opportunities being provided by the fast-emerging Drone sector.
Jishnu Devvarma, presenting the last full Budget of the BJP-led state Government before the Assembly Polls early next year, said: "I have allocated Rs 5 crore for setting up of a Drone Club/Centre in Tripura Institute of Technology Narsingarh to give college students an opportunity to learn, research and train on Drone Technology, which is emerging at a fast pace."
Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles have immense utility in the northeast because of its difficult hilly and mountainous terrains and road connectivity issues.
Drones were used in the recent past to deliver medicines in Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya.
A senior Tripura education department official said the drone centre to be set up at TIT at Narsingarh, about 12km from capital city Agartala, will "hopefully" start functioning by next fiscal.
"Planning for the centre is at a very preliminary stage. We will be inviting experts to help us set up the centre, which will teach students about Drone Technology and the use of Drones for the benefit of the society at large, especially in the Agriculture sector and during natural disasters. This sector has huge job opportunities. It has opened up new career avenues,” the official said.
Experts believe that Drone operators, Drone Engineers and Drone Analysts will be in high demand in the near future in sectors such as Agriculture, Health, Real Estate, Environment, Revenue, Entertainment, Transport, Wildlife, Tourism and even for Law Enforcement.