Humble beginnings, enormous Vision
It’s been three years. Three years of Drona. Three years of Drones. We started off as a small team dedicated to creating India’s very own Drone Platform. Along the way, we also decided to educate Indians on Drone Technology and its tremendous capabilities. It’s been quite some journey for us. A long one too, but we hope it stays forever. Today, we’ve come a long way from where we started off. Pluto is getting popular at a rapid rate and we’re also becoming a name synonymous with Drone Technology in India. Yes, we’re not quite there but we’ve made quite an impact on every person and organization we have interacted with, and these are signs of things to come.
Popular Pluto
Pluto was our very first product. A small DIY Nano-Drone that packed quite a punch and was fun to fly. Over the last three years, Pluto has gone on to grow a lot in popularity. Just like Team Drona, Pluto has come a long way as well. It’s been through several workshops, inspections, events, and most importantly, a complete makeover into the product that it is today; a durable, stable and enjoyable Nano-Drone.
Drona’s Presence at Events
This last year has been especially phenomenal for Drona in terms of making our presence felt. Almost every college Tech-Fest had a Drona Aviation stall/Experience Zone in place and you’d find it crowded with curious, excited, youthful Drone Enthusiasts enjoying and appreciating Pluto and our Initiatives. We were also at Mumbai Comic Con which sees an annual footfall of over 30,000 and the people there loved our specially designed Bat-Pluto and Captain America Pluto so much that we’re receiving plenty of orders for it.
And, of course, how can we ever forget the impact that our very own Pluto Racing League had on the Drone Enthusiasts of India? It was so exciting to see everyone participate in Pluto Racing League and so many of them stay back even after their elimination to witness the finals and express their love for Pluto! The very idea of racing Pluto through arenas was so adrenaline inducing and everybody enjoyed it so much.
The People of Drona
We’ve had many people work with us but the people that have worked as a part of Drona Aviation are something else entirely. It takes a lot of talent to work in a company that sells Nano-Drones and every single person who is or has been an employee of Drona Aviation has it in spades, to offer. We’re all an enthusiastic and passionate bunch, each with our own qualities and when all of us work together, we keep the cogs running. Here’s what a few of us have to say on Drona’s 3rd Birthday!
Dharini Dhutia
“I joined Drona a year ago, but it still feels as exciting as before. For me, Drona Aviation is like a stimulating environment where it’s not just about profit but canvassing ideas and fostering innovation. My fondest memories are the conversations with my boss, my mentor Prasanna, who has always been supportive and kind. The experience working here has played a huge part in shaping my career and whatever I am now, I owe a large part of it to Drona Aviation.”
Vedanshi Shah
“I joined from 10th April, 2017.
I have learnt how to solve problems that are unrelated to my expertise and also to work as part of a team.
My fondest memory is when I first improved the old app and everyone including some Pluto customers appreciated the changes. That made my day.
The thing I like most about Drona Aviation is that everyone works as one team and there is no hierarchy. We have a very friendly work environment”
Ravi Rao
“I’ve been working at Drona for a year now and the experience has been amazing. I really love the work environment and my colleagues are amazing, friendly people with a very unique set of talents and interesting personalities. My fondest memory is the completion of PRL. I felt really accomplished and as if I am contributing to a movement that is making an impact on people”
For over a year, it was just the three of us founders working alone together at Drona. Three years down the line, we are a team of twelve people. Each of us plays a significant role in the company and have contributed in making Drona what it is today.
The game changer for Drona was when Pluto took its first flight (which was not a good flight) but it was what served as a catalyst for change in the company’s vision, attitude and hunger to get success. Drona will definitely achieve its newer and higher targets/goals.
-Dinesh Sain
Aditya Chalapathi
“I worked at Drona Aviation as an Intern from March 2016 to June 2016. I came to Drona after completing an MBA in Technology management program, with very less knowledge about drones and was completely out of touch with technical knowledge. I was given the task of making the drone perform an automated 360 degree flip. I was initially apprehensive about whether I would be able to accomplish it. It took me time to understand the various aspect of flip, the different modes of in which Pluto could be flown, the source code, locate the aspects of the source code that were
relevant to my task etc. Throughout all this the people at Drona Aviation were very patient, helpful and encouraging. Prasanna, Dinesh and Aidren provided valuable guidance. After many failed tests, I managed to get the flip working and the joy I got from seeing it work the first time is difficult to put in words. In addition to all the coding and technical work, I especially enjoyed helping out in workshops. I remember the time I had to go along with the team to Baroda to conduct a workshop in a college. I would always remember the travel, teaching, building of the drone and the flying sessions
fondly.”
All in all, it’s been an amazing three years for Team Drona and we thank all of you for contributing to our work as well! Here’s to many more years of Drona Aviation and Pluto!