Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Kohima: Nagaland Governor Nand Kishore Yadav toured the Nagaland GIS and Remote Sensing Centre and the Drone Centre of Excellence in Kohima on Monday. He inspected the state’s progress in drone technology and geospatial applications. The visit focused on integrating modern tools into government operations and training the local workforce. Yadav watched the proceedings with clear interest. He stated he was "truly fascinated" by the work being done at the facility.
The state planning department is scaling up its tech ambitions. Development Commissioner Y Kikheto Sema noted that 72 trainees have already finished courses, while another 70 candidates are currently enrolled under the Nagaland Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Mission. The governor personally handed out certificates to 10 of these graduates. Training covers DGCA-compliant remote pilot certifications, FPV flight, drone repair, maintenance, cinematography, and GIS mapping.
Officials are looking toward the future. They plan to build a State Geospatial Campus at Tuoliezou and an Advanced Drone Technology and UAV Innovation Hub. These sites will focus on AI-enabled drones, LiDAR, multispectral sensors, and autonomous systems. Sema expects the centre to secure a formal DGCA license for pilot training shortly. He cited a regional demand for 500 pilots as a primary driver for the push.
Yadav argued that these technologies are essential for agriculture, disaster management, and infrastructure. He challenged the centre to support the national goal of Viksit Bharat 2047. The state is banking on these skills to drive employment and local innovation. Development will rely on these emerging tech sectors. The governor left the centre with a mandate to build a self-reliant future for Nagaland’s youth.
Updated at 8th September 2026 at 1:49am
The governor's office clarified the state's technical trajectory, noting the initiative kicked off with a drone unit dedicated to mapping, surveying, and geospatial data acquisition. Officials also shed light on the scope of the proposed innovation hub at Tuoliezou. Beyond AI and LiDAR, the site aims to house fabrication, prototyping, and manufacturing facilities. The expanded vision adds health, environmental monitoring, and thermal sensor applications to the center's list of operational targets.
Updated at 8th September 2026 at 5:51pm
Governor Yadav committed to backing the facility's expansion, specifically targeting the creation of pathways for start-ups and public-sector deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles. The office confirmed that the site at Tuoliezou will serve as more than a research center. It is slated to house fabrication, prototyping, and manufacturing lines to localize the assembly of hardware.
Officials added that the centre's operational scope now explicitly targets health, environmental monitoring, and thermal sensor applications. The move is designed to transition the state from a pilot-training base into a regional hub for technology-driven livelihoods and local industrial production.
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