We Do Sky takes drones to new heights

The very mention of the words “unmanned aerial vehicles” (UAVs), or drones, transports one mentally to the hilly terrains of Afghanistan or the battlefields of Iraq.

However, times are changing, and at a blistering pace at that. Now, we have young entrepreneurs, such as Jaspreet Makkar, who are spreading awareness about the potential utility of drones across sectors.

Makkar, 24, designs and manufactures these drones in the south Delhi office of his company, We Do Sky, and boasts a clientele that ranges from real estate biggies to private universities and the media.

“Initially, we focused only on aerial photography. But, now we do comprehensive data collection for our clients. Our machines are autonomous and fly without human intervention,” he told BusinessLine .

Interestingly, these drones are deployed right at location from where a specific data is required by the client. It then collates the data through artificial intelligence and returns to its hub.

As a result, there is zero interface between the client and the drones. “Whatever data the drones collect is collated by us and presented to the client. The customer never gets to see the drones,” Makkar added.

Although the raw material for producing these drones is imported from the US and China, the UAVs are made by Makkar and his team of three young entrepreneurs — Nitish Srivastava, Rohit and Amar — who also assist him in sales and marketing and business development.

The cost of a drone stands anywhere between ₹2 lakh and ₹5 lakh.

Apart from the cost factor, several security aspects are also associated with deploying drones for intelligence gathering.

Makkar makes sure his drones do not fly beyond 400 feet from ground, and follow other security norms.

“The problem is there aren’t many laws governing drones. But whatever little there are, we make sure we follow those,” he said.

Makkar founded We Do Sky a year ago and eventually built the team of four. The company’s clients include Supertech, Amrapali, Neemrana Hotels and Amity University, among others.

The team wants to foray into the world of mining, for which it is already in initial talks with Coal India Ltd.

“It will be a new venture for us and we know there will be roadblocks. We are talking with various ministries on the issue and hoping to make them aware of the uses of drones. We are planning to travel the entire coal belt and then chalk out a plan,” said Makkar.

The company is also looking for angel investors and venture capitalists who are passionate about the concept. “We don’t just want investors, but mentors, too,” said Makkar.

The passion to play with gadgets and what goes into making them had caught Makkar’s imagination during his growing up years. “The credit goes to my family which never stopped me from following my passion. I was an average student, but I always wanted to innovate and play with new ideas,” he said.

As a young and emerging entrepreneur, does Makkar find encouragement in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plethora of campaigns, such as Make In India, Digital India, Start Up India and Skill India?

These at least assure him that his problems will lessen as his company grows, said Makkar.

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