Young Inventor And Entrepreneur Sets Off To Changing The World Through Drones-For-Good

Daily we see new advancements in the tech realm and it has been nothing but beneficial for us. The advancements have eased our work and made us feel safer if used for the right purposes. Many innovative people keep experimenting and inventing new things for the betterment of humanity. One such genius is Urvashi Kikani who is Co-Founder & Chief R&D Officer of Aerobotics7 an Innovative technology startup working on Drone technology which can help get rid of landmines remotely without any human risks. There are estimated to be over 100 million active landmines buried worldwide which is a huge risk to many lives but also to the lands, where these young innovators are trying to solve this global issue. We got a chance to talk to Urvashi about her journey, venture and what the future looks like. Below is the conversation with her.
 
Tell us about your experience so far and what encouraged you to establish your venture?
 
Honestly, my experience so far has been fun and exciting. Aircrafts used to fascinate me ever since I was a child. My curiosity about learning more about airplanes led to me pursuing Aeronautical Engineering and I was also very determined to do something for humanity. My first ever humanitarian research made me fall in the field and I started learning even more about Aircraft structures, Aerodynamics & Avionics. I always wanted to do something for humanity and that is how I came across a project EAGLE A7 on which an exceptional young innovator Harshwardhan Zala was working. Without a second thought, I joined the project and worked on my dream of saving lives globally, soon we officially started Aerobotics7. We aimed to make drones that easily detect these landmines even if they are made of plastic, without any need of human deminers to risk their lives, eventually, we started getting recognition for our hard work.
 
In this day of cutthroat competition, how do you intend to stand out?
 
We serve a bigger purpose through our project and we don’t put ourselves into a race against anyone. We are here to give the best solution to the world and we work for that. Our drones result from numerous trial and error and many iterations. They have AI-based and Multiple spectrums-driven detection methods that can accurately identify landmines and destroy them without any human intervention. Our novel approach and the time we spent making the drones better make us stand out.
 
Have you encountered any hurdles, and what have you learned from them?
 
I believe that there is no journey without roadblocks, even my journey had a lot of hurdles. The development of the technologies, solving tons of problems related to the establishment of business and self-sustaining the whole startup were few major problems. But I did not give up, I started every day with the same enthusiasm, having Harshwardhan as a great mentor and a great team and today we are at the stage of having one of the best drone technologies to serve the global need.
 
What has been your key to success and what things you will not compromise on at any cost?
 
Our teamwork, core values, lessons, and purpose is our ultimate key to success. The company’s values and the vision to deliver the best solutions are non negotiable at any cost. This has motivated the whole team to come together and work round the clock to make the best of the technology. Catering to our values we also launched a campaign in 2021 called "World Without Landmines" at Aerobotics7 in collaboration with PeaceJam Foundation - a US-based NGO in the mentorship of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jody Williams. The campaign is focused on removing landmines, reclaiming lands, and reimagining the world.
 
What does the future look like for Aerobotics7?
 
Aerobotics7 has quickly established itself as one of India's most innovative and purpose-driven drone company. Now our focus is on entering the American market to build the best technology and provide it to the global market, with the best resources, talent and capital. We are focused on solving one problem at a time and then moving to another with our mission to Make the world a safe place.