Drone School India

What Drone School India does

Drone School India (DSI) is a Mumbai-based, bootstrapped drone education and aerial services company founded in 2019 by Dharna Nar (CTO) and Dhruvin Dodhiya (CEO). The company operates a hybrid model combining structured drone training (online self-paced courses on a dedicated LMS at courses.droneschoolindia.com and offline workshops of 15–40 hours targeting school students aged 9–15, enthusiasts aged 16+, and adult professionals aged 18+) with paid aerial services for enterprise clients. Its technology stack spans multi-rotor UAV platforms — notably the made-in-India Pluto nano drone via a partnership with Drona Aviation — as well as DJI Air 2S, Mavic 2 Pro, and Inspire 1 platforms, integrating ROS-based programming for advanced learners.

DSI's service portfolio comprises three revenue-generating service lines: aerial cinematography for films, real estate, events, and tourism (clients include Tripsy Traveller); 360° virtual tours for real estate, hospitality, and smart cities; and aerial surveying and mapping (orthomosaics, DSM/DTM, contour maps, 3D point clouds) for construction and infrastructure clients including NHAI-aligned highway corridor work. It also publishes the 'Drone Technology for Beginners' book (Ané Books, April 2024) and sells it via Amazon. Go-to-market combines product-led growth via the online course platform, event-driven offline workshops through institutional partnerships (most notably Somaiya Vidyavihar University, which co-houses DSI headquarters via its RIIDL innovation hub), and direct enterprise sales for surveying and cinematography projects. Revenue derives from course fees (recurring/subscription), professional-services fees per project, and one-time book sales; pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Drone School India

Legal name

Drone School India

Website

https://droneschoolindia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Drone School India is a Mumbai-based, bootstrapped drone education and aerial services company founded in 2019, offering online and offline drone training, aerial cinematography, 360° virtual tours, and surveying/mapping services to students, schools, and enterprise clients across India.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drone Training and Aerial Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Flight Training (611512)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Drones, UAVs & Aerial Robotics Programs (EDAMADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aerial Surveying & Crop Scouting (Imaging, Mapping, Stand Counts) (AFACAIAJ), Aerial Robotics (Drones & UAV Autonomy) (HDAAAIAG)

Keywords

• Drone training
• Aerial cinematography
• Drone surveying
• Virtual tours
• Aerial robotics education

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Online Course Fees: Self-paced online courses including Drone Technology for Beginners (3 hours) and Geotagging Drone Videos for Survey (12 hours). Revenue generated from course enrollments.
2. Offline Training Programs: In-person workshops including Aerial Robotics Junior, Drone Coding Bootcamp, Aerial Filming Course, and Drone Building and Flying. Duration ranges from 15 to 40 hours.
3. Aerial Cinematography Services: Professional drone filming services for films, real estate, events, advertisements, tourism, and sports coverage using DJI drones.
4. 360° Virtual Tours: Immersive aerial virtual tour creation for properties, resorts, educational institutes, and smart cities.
5. Drone Surveying Services: Aerial surveying and mapping services including topographical surveys, DSM/DTM models, orthophotos, and infrastructure monitoring.
6. Book Sales: Sale of 'Drone Technology for Beginners' book available in paperback and hardcover formats through Amazon.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Drone School India provides drone-based education and technology services, offering online and offline training courses on drone technology, aerial robotics, ROS coding, aerial filmmaking, and survey techniques. It also delivers professional drone services including aerial cinematography for films and real estate, 360° virtual tours, and aerial surveying and mapping for construction and infrastructure clients. A published book on drone technology for beginners is sold via Amazon.

Product overview

Drone School India is a drone-based education and technology solutions company offering a comprehensive portfolio of training programs and aerial services. The product portfolio consists of educational offerings (online and offline courses) covering drone technology, aerial robotics, coding bootcamps, and filming courses; a published book on drone technology; and professional aerial services including cinematography, 360° virtual tours, and land surveying/mapping. The courses are structured for various skill levels from beginners to advanced practitioners, while the services target industries including real estate, film/media, construction, and tourism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drone Technology for Beginners (Online Course) Self-paced online course (3 hours) covering drone technology fundamentals including multi-rotor UAVs, aerodynamics, controls, drone types and features, applications, and assembly of made-in-India Pluto nano drone, delivered through pre-recorded videos and quizzes. Targeted at beginners interested in drone tinkering.
• Geotagging Drone Videos for Survey (Online Course) Intermediate-level online course (12 hours) covering fundamental concepts, drone data acquisition techniques, geotagging methodology, and post-processing of drone videos with geo-information overlays for corridor survey applications such as highway construction. Targeted at learners seeking application-based learning in drone surveying.
• Aerial Robotics - Junior Workshop Offline workshop (15 hours, beginner level) for students aged 9-15 covering theoretical concepts and hands-on flying experience in aerial robotics using nano drones, including building, coding, and flying drones. Delivered at schools and educational institutions.
• Drone Coding Bootcamp Offline course (40 hours, intermediate level) for learners aged 16+ covering programming techniques for nano drones using ROS (Robot Operating System) and the Pluto drone platform, including hands-on experiments and robotics software frameworks.
• Aerial Filming Course Offline course (20 hours, advanced level) for ages 18+ covering professional drone filming techniques including panning, reveal, pedestal, tracing, and fly-over shots, plus drone and camera knowledge, aesthetics, and industry techniques.
• Drone Building and Flying Course Offline course covering assembly, configuration, calibration, and operation of multirotor drones, including pre-flight checks, simulator training, and autonomous waypoint-based missions for learners seeking practical multirotor piloting skills.
• Drone Technology for Beginners (Book) Published book titled 'Drone Technology for Beginners: Learn | Build | Fly Drones', a comprehensive guide focused on multirotor UAVs and Pluto drones covering drone fundamentals, aerodynamics, assembly of Pluto nano drone, flying activities, safety measures, regulations, and practice worksheets. Available in paperback and hardcover via Amazon India.
• Aerial Cinematography Services Professional drone filming service offering high-resolution, stabilized aerial footage for films, real estate, events, advertisements, tourism, and sports coverage using DJI drones. Serves Films and Media and Real Estate industry clients.
• 360° Virtual Tours Service creating immersive 360-degree aerial panoramic virtual tours for real estate, tours and travel, educational institutes, hotels, resorts, smart cities, and industrial plants. Output is compatible with VR and Google platforms.
• Aerial Surveying and Mapping Services Precision aerial land mapping and surveying service using drones with high-resolution sensors and cameras. Deliverables include orthophoto maps, DSM, DTM, contour maps, 3D point clouds, and 3D textured meshes for topographical survey and infrastructure project monitoring.

Quantifiable outcome

• NHAI mandated drone surveys for all highway projects, creating regulatory tailwind for drone surveying services
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RIIDLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation hub partner located at Somaiya Vidyavihar University. Co-location partner for DSI headquarters. Collaborates on experiential learning and innovation programs.
• Somaiya Trust / Somaiya VidyaviharcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner hosting DSI operations and providing access to student audiences for drone education programs. Conducts aerial robotics workshops at The Somaiya School.
• NHAI (National Highways Authority of India)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment regulatory body that mandated drone surveys for highway projects. DSI provides drone surveying services compliant with NHAI requirements for pre-construction, during construction, and post-construction phases.
• Drona AviationcoreTechnology or IntegrationIndian drone technology company specializing in Pluto nano drones. DSI uses Pluto drones extensively in training curriculum and educational programs.
• Ane Books Pvt. Ltd.minorOthersPublishing partner for the 'Drone Technology for Beginners' book, available in paperback (ISBN: 978-81-972221-8-4) and hardcover (ISBN: 978-81-972221-5-3).

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Asteria Aerospace: Indian drone manufacturer and aerial data analytics firm serving defence, agriculture, and infrastructure. Competes with DSI in enterprise surveying and inspection segments and represents a more capitalised competing path into the same end markets.
• AirPix: India-based drone analytics startup offering aerial surveying, mapping, and inspection for infrastructure and mining. Direct overlap with DSI's NHAI-aligned surveying offering at a more enterprise/analytics-specialised tier.
• DroneAcharya Aerial Innovations: Indian drone training academy and aerial services provider offering RPTO-approved pilot training, drone surveys, and cinematography. Closest direct competitor — same geography, same education + services dual model, and similar reliance on Made-in-India platforms.
• Skylark Drones: Indian enterprise drone solutions company focused on aerial surveying, mapping, and asset inspection using proprietary software (DroneOps). Overlaps directly with DSI's surveying and NHAI-style infrastructure monitoring offerings.
• Garuda Aerospace: India-based drone-as-a-service and drone pilot training company with strong government/SOI exposure. Comparable service offerings (spraying, surveying, mapping) and an in-house training arm make it a scaled twin to DSI's enterprise-side business.

Broad incumbents

• DJI: Global drone and aerial imaging incumbent whose platforms (Mavic, Air, Inspire) underpin DSI's cinematography and surveying service delivery. Sets the technology baseline and trained-pilot demand curve DSI's curriculum depends on.
• ideaForge Technology: Listed Indian drone OEM serving defence, homeland security, and enterprise. Competes with DSI at the survey/inspection buyer level (end-customer overlap) while also influencing the broader drone ecosystem DSI trains for.

Regional players

• Techfest IIT Bombay (Drone Competitions & Workshops): Premier Indian student tech festival that runs drone design challenges and workshops in Mumbai. Competes for the same student/STEM audience DSI targets with its Aerial Robotics Junior and Coding Bootcamp programs.

Emerging players

• Drona Aviation: Indian maker of the Pluto nano drone platform and the Cygnus IDE — DSI's core technology partner. They overlap with DSI on drone education through DIY Pluto kits and could either complement or compete depending on whether they expand into training services.
• BotLab Dynamics: Indian drone light-show and services company that has built drone training exposure for engineers and students. Comparable to DSI's STEM-education angle but more focused on swarm/Light Show commercial deployments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/droneschoolindia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Drone School India