Sky is No Longer the Limit: How Women Are Redefining Drone and Aviation Careers in India?

Women in India are not limited to traditional career options. Women have started entering the aviation and drone industry. “Sky is no longer the limit” is not only an inspiring slogan but an example of the power of women. From drone operations to commercial piloting, ATC, engineering and management, women are making a mark in the aviation and drone piloting industry.

India is one of the few countries in the world with the highest number of women pilots. Currently, about 15% of the pilots in the Indian aviation industry are women, while the world average is only 5–6%.  There are a lot of women pilots in Indian aircraft carriers such as IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet and Vistara. The Commercial Pilot Licenses (CPL) issued to women in 2023 were 294, which is about 18% of the total CPL. This shows that the field of aviation is now welcoming women with open arms, and steady progress is being made by women, not just in India but worldwide, in the world of aviation.

 Let us look at the different aspects of women in aviation in India. These are some of the common elements.

Commercial piloting is one of the most attractive career options for women. The presence of 15% women pilots in India is proof that women are now commanding flights on a large scale. Fighter pilots like Avni Chaturvedi, Bhavana Kant and Mohana Singh have created history in the defense sector as well.

Air traffic control is the most important part of the safety and smooth operation of any flight. About 15% of ATCs in India are women.  There is a need for top-notch mental concentration and decision-making and women are successfully contributing to it.

The aviation sector is not limited to piloting only. Designing, maintaining, and offering technical support for aircraft are equally important. The participation of women in this sector is still limited, but they have slowly but surely started to enter aerospace engineering and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services.

Women are now not at all hesitant in entering fields such as airport management, ground operations, customer service and airline management. Although their participation at the senior or leadership level is still below 5%, changing policies and mentorship programs can increase this number in the near future.

Women's participation in cabin crew is already high, but now they are also moving into technical roles like flight dispatcher and flight planning. Here, their professional behaviour and communication skills are playing an important role.

Drone technology is opening up new career options for women. Women are doing drone operations and entrepreneurship in sectors like agriculture, survey, logistics, security and media. The Government of India’s "Namo Drone Didi" scheme has indeed become a boon for women, especially in rural India, to take up drone piloting to support agricultural requirements.

India's drone industry has now become a means of self-reliance and entrepreneurship for women. Under the "Namo Drone Didi" scheme, drones are being made available to 15,000 women's self-help groups. Drone training centres have been opened at IIT Mandi and IIT Guwahati. In states like Odisha and Punjab, women are increasing their income by using drones in agriculture. This initiative is bringing a technological revolution in rural India as well as strengthening the role of women.

Women like Saimaira Hullur, Kaukab Rizwan, Mahasweta Chakraborty and Aarohi Pandit have become examples in this field. At the same time, in the defence sector, women fighter pilots like Avni Chaturvedi have given the message in society that women are not behind in any field.

Despite the increasing participation of women in the aviation and drone piloting industry, there are still, a lot of challenges manifesting themselves and waiting to be resolved. These barriers are social bias, expensive training costs, long shifts and work-life balance. The lack of participation of women in the top management of organizations has come out to be a big challenge.

But positive initiatives are also underway. IATA's “25 by 2025” initiative, DGCA and AAI policies, and programs like Skill India and Vigyan Jyoti are encouraging women. Airlines are changing their policies to help women balance their careers and family.

The future of the aviation and drone industry is full of opportunities for women. Millions of pilots, engineers, technicians and managers will be required in the next few decades. Drones are now opening up new opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment for women at both rural and urban levels. In the coming years, we will see women in airline leadership, airport management and top positions in aviation technology companies.

Indian women are no longer just involved in the aviation and drone sector, but they are also setting the direction of this sector. From piloting to engineering, air traffic control to drone technology and management, women are making their mark at every level.

The presence of 15% women pilots, schemes like “Namo Drone Didi” and stories of inspiring women pilots prove that the sky is no longer their limit.  There is no doubt that there are still some challenges that hinder the active participation of women in aviation and drone technology. Still, policies, prospects, and the role of society have certainly made women's participation in such industries more accessible.

As people's attitudes towards women change, changes are also coming about, and we see an active participation of women in the fields, which males once dominated.  If you want to enter the field of aviation or drone piloting, then come to us at Flapone Aviation to become trained pilots and mark your firm standing in these illustrious careers. You will surely be able to tell the world that now it is the time that all careers have become gender neutral, and aviation is no exception.