Cricketer MS Dhoni, who is both a brand ambassador and an investor in Chennai-based Garuda Aerospace, has deepened his connection with the company by becoming a certified drone pilot. The former Indian captain completed his training at Garuda Aerospace’s DGCA-approved Remote Pilot Training Organization (RPTO) in Chennai.
MS Dhoni finish DGCA-Certified Drone Pilot Training
Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO of Garuda Aerospace, shared, “We were chatting one day when I mentioned that we had trained a large number of drone pilots. Dhoni immediately said, ‘I wish I could be a drone pilot too.’ This conversation took place about a year and a half ago, and although his schedule packed, he finally made it happen last week.”
“He picked it up very quickly and extremely focused on learning. His strong belief in our mission to change the drone industry is a huge source of motivation for the entire team,” Mr. Jayaprakash added.
Training promotes certified and safe drone operations
Garuda Aerospace, a DGCA-approved RPTO, has trained over 2,500 aspiring pilots with the help of its Master Instructors. The company states that the training is a key step toward promoting certified and safe drone operations. It combines classroom instruction with hands-on flying sessions on simulators and actual drones.
As the drone industry grows quickly, the need for skilled and certified pilots is increasing to meet safety and regulatory standards. Currently, Garuda Aerospace has six DGCA approvals, including being the first Indian drone startup to receive dual DGCA certifications for both manufacturing and training. The company has also secured DGCA authorization to provide drone pilot training for both small and medium categories (under 25 kg and above 25 kg MTOW).
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