Adding Drone Operations to Your Resume: What Indian Employers Are Looking For?

The job landscape in India is constantly changing. While earlier engineering, medical, and IT sectors were considered the most lucrative career options, new technologies and innovations have now opened up new employment opportunities. Drone technology is one of the major areas among them. Drones are no longer just a means of entertainment or aerial photography but are being widely used in agriculture, construction, mining, logistics, energy, health and security.

The drone sector is being given a special boost under the government's 'Drone Shakti' initiative, Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat campaigns. The DGCA has also laid down clear guidelines and a training framework so that more and more people can operate drones at a professional level.

In such a scenario, if you are skilled in drone operations and present this skill correctly in your resume, it can prove to be a game-changer for your career. But recruiters are not impressed by just the knowledge of flying drones; they want to see how much real benefit your skills will bring to the organization.

India's drone market is going to grow rapidly in the coming years. According to NITI Aayog, by the year 2030, the drone sector will create more than 5 lakh direct and indirect jobs in India. At the same time, a report by Crisil Research says that by 2025, the size of the Indian drone market can reach around ₹ 50,000 crore.

Drones are being used most widely in the agricultural sector. Farmers can avail subsidies on the purchase of agricultural drones under the Kisan Drone Yojana. Similarly, construction companies use drones for various tasks, including monitoring and project management. The use of drone technology is also increasing continuously in the Smart Cities project of the Government of India.

Drone technology is opening a new dimension in last-mile delivery. Last-mile delivery is the most important part of any supply chain, as it delivers the product to the end consumer. E-commerce, healthcare and logistics companies are turning to drones for this. Drones not just increase speed but can also reach remote and areas.

The Telangana government adopted drone delivery for delivering medicines and vaccines to rural areas. Similarly, Flipkart and Swiggy have also started pilot projects for drone delivery to offer fast delivery.

Last-mile delivery with drones increases speed and reduces costs.  The inclusion of drones in the delivery sector in India will transform the e-commerce market.  The increasing acceptance of drones has encouraged private and government organizations to adopt this technology.

In the Indian context, recruiters' priorities are focused on certain points. First, they look at whether the candidate has a remote pilot certificate recognized by the DGCA. This license is mandatory for any commercial drone operations in India.

The second feature is operational expertise.  Recruiters look for candidates who can handle different drones. The third important aspect is data analysis. For example, construction companies want data from drones that can be processed in software like GIS or AutoCAD. Companies in the agriculture sector prefer candidates who can analyze crop conditions with techniques like NDVI and thermal imaging.

 Employers often also look at how a candidate can optimize the organization’s costs and increase safety levels through drone operations. So, only technical knowledge is not enough; the actual business impact should reflect in your resume.

 A job seeker can highlight drone skills in their resume.  Firstly, drone certifications can be mentioned. If you have a remote pilot certificate from DGCA or completed a course from a recognized Indian training institute, then mention it prominently.

Then show the achievements in statistics. For example, you can write that “Farmer sprayed pesticides on 500 acres of land using a drone, which saved 15% in chemical cost and recorded a 10% increase in production.” Such statistics tell employers the real value of your work.

Also mention technical tools and software, such as Pix4D, DroneDeploy, QGIS or apps used in the Indian context. If one has worked on a government project, it should also be mentioned, as it demonstrates one’s relevance in the industry.

Drones are used in different industries and employer expectations vary accordingly.

Agricultural companies prefer people experienced in crop monitoring, pesticide spraying and land surveying. Construction companies seek professionals skilled in conducting topographic surveys and project monitoring more efficiently and safely.  Energy and mining companies are seeking thermal imaging experts for inspections of mines and pipelines.

In addition, the demand for drones has also grown rapidly in the media and film industry. Drone cameras have now become common in Bollywood films and wedding shoots. Hence, employers in this sector expect both creative and technical proficiency.

Indian candidates often mention drone experience in a very simple way in their resumes, like just writing “drone operator” or only mentioning the drone model. This makes recruiters unable to understand the depth of your skills.

There is no estimate of the impact of drones. Another mistake is that candidates do not quantify their work. If you have saved time or reduced cost in a project, then it is important to write its percentage or figure.

Another common mistake is that candidates often overlook the Indian regulatory framework. If you have a certification from DGCA or have worked on a government project, then definitely write it as it increases your relevance in the Indian context.

The Government of India aims to generate millions of jobs in the country from the drone industry by the year 2030. It will be used the most in agriculture, construction and smart cities projects. Apart from this, work is also going on in the health sector to deliver medicines and blood units to remote areas through drones. By including drone skills in a resume, opportunities can be grabbed not just in India but also abroad.

 There is no doubt that a resume has a big role to play in the job search, but the fact of the matter is that employers don’t rely on resumes alone. They also look at the online presence of the candidate. Hence, you should add DGCA certifications and project experience to your LinkedIn profile. If you have used a specific kind of drone in a particular project, give a brief description of it. This will do a world of good in increasing your credibility.

Drone technology in India is growing rapidly, and employment opportunities are also increasing with it.  The growing demand for drones in industries indicates that drone operations will become a valuable skill in the future.

Adding drone skills to your resume can help a candidate take their career to new heights.  With India poised to become a “drone hub” in the future, candidates with drone operating skills will have their noses in front. If you want to learn drone operating skills, then enrolling in a drone training school is essential. That is where Flapone Aviation comes into the picture. Here, you will learn all the tits and bits of drone piloting and that too at a very affordable price.