New Delhi, April 18, 2025 — The Drone National Roundtable Conference 2025, organized by the National Association of Drone Developers and Space Organization (NADDSO), convened a powerful gathering of policymakers, industry leaders, academic voices, and startup innovators at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The event served as a major policy and innovation platform to shape India’s trajectory in the drone, geospatial, and space technology sectors.
A key update of the conference was the leadership announcement for the year 2025. Bharti Goyal Maan, Vice President – Automotive, was appointed as the Industry Co-Chairperson, while Dr. Joyesh Bagchi, Deputy Director General at the Geological Survey of India (GSI), took on the role of Government Co-Chairperson. Their appointments signal a strong move toward strengthening policy advocacy through industry expertise and government implementation capacity.
Themed “Policy and Advocacy for Emerging Technologies in Drone, Geospatial, and Space Sectors,” the roundtable facilitated rich dialogue on the evolving needs and challenges of the ecosystem. Attended by startup founders, think tanks, regulators, incubators, and senior government officials, the conference focused on co-developing strategies for easing business processes, promoting interoperability, and scaling academic and startup incubation systems.
A recurring concern echoed by industry stakeholders was the need to bridge funding gaps, improve startup visibility, and accelerate pilot project execution. In response, participants advocated for structured government-startup collaboration models, empanelment systems, and single-window clearances to streamline implementation.
Dr. Bagchi emphasized the importance of responsive governance and invited sectoral input to improve schemes such as PRISM under the Ministry of Mines. Goyal Maan called for greater speed and efficiency in implementation processes to capitalize on India’s technological potential.
Other experts added nuanced layers to the discussion. Dr. Shivangi underscored the urgency of standardization and interoperability, while Dr. Seema highlighted the role of women and youth in building a diverse and future-ready workforce for drone and space technologies. Emphasis was also placed on improved awareness of government support schemes and creating a merit-based tendering ecosystem.
An important outcome of the conference was the proposal to compile a formal list of sectoral bottlenecks and policy recommendations, to be presented at the upcoming “Startup Ka Mahakumbh.” This initiative aims to strengthen ongoing coordination between government, industry, and innovators and build momentum for change.
As India positions itself as a global leader in drone and space innovation, the Drone National Roundtable Conference 2025 reinforced the nation’s commitment to collaborative policymaking, technological progress, and inclusive growth. With new leadership at the helm, NADDSO is poised to drive transformative change across these high-impact sectors.