Garuda Aerospace, REIL Join Hands to Expand Drone Pilot Training in Jaipur

Garuda Aerospace has secured a formal work contract from Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Limited (REIL) to set up and operate a Directorate General of Civil Aviation-authorized Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO) centre at REIL’s campus in Jaipur, in a move aimed at strengthening India’s drone skilling ecosystem. The development was reported by India Sentinels, while Garuda Aerospace has also highlighted the partnership through its official channels.

The new centre is backed by a 10-year DGCA authorization reportedly valid through March 2036. According to the reports, the facility will train drone pilots for small-category Rotorcraft RPAS operations, including both day and night Visual Line of Sight missions. Ground training will be conducted at REIL House in Mansarovar, while flying operations are planned at Arya College of Engineering and IT in Kukas, Jaipur.

The partnership builds on an earlier Garuda-REIL collaboration announced in January 2025 to establish a drone pilot training centre in Jaipur. At the time, the two sides said the initiative was designed to combine Garuda Aerospace’s drone technology and training expertise with REIL’s infrastructure and local presence in Rajasthan.

Garuda Aerospace already operates in the DGCA-approved remote pilot training space and says it has trained more than 2,500 certified drone pilots across centres in 26 cities, with institutional tie-ups spanning 26 states. That existing network gives the Jaipur centre added significance, as it expands the company’s footprint in certified drone skilling at a time when demand for trained operators is rising across agriculture, infrastructure, industry, and public-sector applications.

REIL, for its part, is a Mini Ratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Government of India, which gives the collaboration a stronger institutional base. The Jaipur facility is expected to contribute to workforce development in the drone sector by creating a structured training pipeline aligned with DGCA norms for remote pilot certification. DGCA’s Digital Sky platform continues to list RPTO authorization as the formal route for approved pilot training in India.

Taken together, the Garuda-REIL partnership signals a broader push toward building a nationwide drone-ready workforce through certified training, industry participation, and public-sector collaboration. As India’s drone economy grows, such training centres are likely to play an increasingly important role in supplying skilled operators for commercial and institutional use.

Reference:

https://www.indiasentinels.com/defence-industry/private/garuda-aerospace-partners-with-reil-to-power-nationwide-drone-workforce-development-7251

https://manufacturing.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/aerospace-defence/garuda-aerospace-to-set-up-drone-training-centre-in-jaipur-under-reil-contract/129755176

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/garuda-aerospace-and-reil-to-set-up-remote-pilot-training-organisation-in-jaipur/articleshow/116916160.cms