India’s leading drone tech start-up Garuda Aerospace Ltd has secured a contract from Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Ltd. (REIL) to establish and operate a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)-authorised Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO) centre at REIL’s campus in Jaipur.
The Garuda Aerospace RPTO centre, backed by a 10-year DGCA authorisation valid through March 2036, will train drone pilots in Rotorcraft RPAS small-category drone operations, covering both day and night Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) missions.
Training infrastructure across campuses
Flying operations will be conducted at Arya College of Engineering and IT in Kukas, Jaipur, with ground training hosted at the REIL House campus in Mansarovar.
The collaboration brings together REIL’s standing as a public sector institution and Garuda Aerospace’s expertise in DGCA-compliant drone pilot training, positioning the Jaipur centre as a model for government-backed drone skilling in India.
Focus on large-scale drone skilling
“Having trained over 2,500 certified drone pilots across India, including legendary cricketer MS Dhoni, we know what it takes to build a world-class RPTO centre. Our mission has always been to put India in the sky, and Jaipur is our next frontier,” said Garuda Aerospace Whole-time Director and CEO Agnishwar Jayaprakash.
Garuda Aerospace will be responsible for the end-to-end establishment of the RPTO centre, including building training infrastructure, deploying DGCA-approved drone equipment manufactured by the company, mobilising participants, and delivering structured training curricula aligned with the latest DGCA norms.
Expanding national footprint
The centre will cater to industrial, commercial and institutional organisations across Rajasthan and beyond.
Garuda Aerospace has already certified more than 2,500 remote pilots across India, including students, farmers, defence personnel and public sector participants.
Operations to begin soon
The Jaipur RPTO centre is expected to be fully operational in the coming months, with training batches open to candidates from Rajasthan and across the country.
All operations will be conducted strictly in accordance with the DGCA’s approved Training and Procedure Manual.