Hello,

If you’re a billionaire, you can build your own city.

In what is a real-life Cities: Skylines scenario, Elon Musk is planning to establish a city in coastal south Texas after he had earlier announced that he would shift SpaceX’s headquarters to Texas. His employees are now working hard to get the required support to create a municipality.

The name of the city? Starbase.

The large-scale project will help SpaceX lure talented employees, create infrastructure geared towards space exploration, and ease the tax burden on the company.

Such company towns have been in existence since the Industrial Revolution to give employees housing and jobs near their workplaces. India too has had a fair share of such industrial towns.

The most famous company town in India is Jamshedpur, which was created from the erstwhile village of Sakchi by Jamshedji Tata after he laid the foundation of India’s first steel plant in the city. Over 100 years later, it is now the largest city in Jharkhand.

Modinagar, located around 50 km from Delhi, is another company town founded by Gujarmal Modi in 1933 to establish the Modi Group of Industries. It is now home to around half a million residents.

However, company towns have a few downsides too as employees face extended working hours and limited job opportunities if the company declines.

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Marketing fails of 2024
• 2024: When drones dominated
• Building a big company from scratch

Here’s your trivia for today: According to Spotify Wrapped 2024, which was the most-streamed song of 2024?

Review 2024

Marketing fails of 2024

This year saw innovative viral campaigns that combined humour, technology, and personalised messaging to captivate audiences. However, not all campaigns hit the mark, with many backfiring due to poorly conceived messaging or a lack of cultural sensitivity.

“Poorly handled campaigns fail when they don’t understand their audience, misjudge cultural values, or make claims that are hard to believe,” says Prady Kumaar, CEO and Co-founder, NP Digital India.

Missing the mark:

• Home salon services company YesMadam faced public outrage for a LinkedIn post claiming it fired 100 employees for being stressed. The post, intended as a campaign to highlight workplace mental health, was criticised for its insensitivity.
• Zomato’s CEO, Deepinder Goyal, faced criticism for a job posting requiring candidates to pay a Rs 20 lakh fee in their first year. While the fee was intended to be donated to charity, it sparked debates about elitist and exploitative hiring practices.
• “Marketing strategy comes first and advertising comes next. Unfortunately, a fair number of startups get excited by the sexy creative and get excited by moment marketing buzz and in the bargain,” says Harish Bijoor, Founder of Bengaluru-based boutique consulting firm Harish Bijoor Consults.

Review 2024

2024: When drones dominated

More Indians are flying drones than ever before. The integration of drones into sectors such as agriculture, logistics, healthcare, defence, and construction has created a pressing need for skilled operators. 

“With a projected 40% increase in requirements by 2025, the demand for trained drone pilots is escalating rapidly,” Dhanashree Mandhani, Founder and CEO of Salam Kisan, tells YourStory.

Tech innovation:

• Awareness campaigns educate the public about the benefits of drones. Under the Namo Drone Didi scheme, women’s self-help groups will be educated on the operational benefits of drones, such as how to efficiently spray fertilizers and pesticides.
• Smit Shah, President of the Drone Federation of India, adds that the drone training ecosystem is generating high-quality jobs. “It’s especially impactful in agriculture, where drone spraying helps retain youth in rural areas.”
• “Technological advancements in drones, such as longer battery life, enhanced AI, and improved sensors, are driving new applications like precision farming, medical supply delivery, and large-scale infrastructure surveying,” says Prem Kumar Vislawath, CEO and Co-founder of Marut Drones.

Woman entrepreneur

Building a big company from scratch

Payal Nambiar’s journey into entrepreneurship began with a single spark amid the dotcom boom in the early 2000s, when she started a small business with her husband, PKD Nambiar, a software professional. This venture would lay the foundation for the B Square Group–an information technology-focused company that offers customer service and products ranging from IT to ERP solutions.

Business expansion:

• They started with two computers, with Payal pitching in with her expertise in marketing and communications and Nambiar focusing on software development.
• B Square Solutions diversified from CRM into multiple applications and a wide range of software solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses, automotive companies, manufacturing industries, car management software, ERP software for startups, and more. 
• Nambiar believes in emulating the government’s ‘Make in India’ policy to drive the company to newer heights. “This philosophy is at the core of what we do. We focus extensively on the manufacturing sector, working on industry-specific solutions.”

News & updates

• Snag: Japan Airlines said it was hit by a cyberattack, causing delays to more than 20 domestic flights but the carrier said it was able to stop the onslaught and restore its systems hours later. There was no impact on flight safety, it said.
• Workaround: Russia has started using Bitcoin and other digital currencies for international trade after legislative changes designed to counter Western sanctions. This year, Russia legalised the use of cryptocurrencies in international trade and began formalising Bitcoin mining operations. 
• Downturn: China’s finance and property companies saw their workforces shrink in recent years for the first time, reflecting the damage caused by a housing market collapse and regulatory probes. The financial industry had 12.4 million employees at end-2023, down 32% from five years earlier, according to economic census data. The number of people working for developers slid 27% to 2.7 million people.

According to Spotify Wrapped 2024, which was the most-streamed song of 2024?

Answer: Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso”.

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Once reserved for military use, drones are now becoming a staple across industries in India. From agriculture to logistics, these flying marvels are reshaping traditional practices and unlocking opportunities, especially in rural areas. 

This growth is partly powered by the support of government policies like the Namo Drone Didi scheme empowering rural women and acting as a catalyst for employment and economic progress. Now, more Indians are flying drones than ever before.

Growing demand for drone pilots

The integration of drones into sectors such as agriculture, logistics, healthcare, defence, and construction has created a pressing need for skilled operators. “With a projected 40% increase in requirements by 2025, the demand for trained drone pilots is escalating rapidly,” Dhanashree Mandhani, Founder and CEO of Salam Kisan, tells YourStory.

As of December 2024, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation had issued remote pilot certificates to 21,030 drone pilots, up from 8,680 in December 2023. 

To address the growing need, training programmes such as Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi, GATI Drone Pilot Training Programme, and Skill India Kisan Drone Operator Course have expanded into Tier II and III cities. “With over 116 remote pilot training organisations operational, drone education is more widespread than ever,” notes Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO, Garuda Aerospace.

According to Deepak Bhardwaj, Co-founder and Director of IoTechWorld Avigation, drone-as-a-service (DaaS) providers are offering attractive salaries to recruit talented pilots as the demand for skilled professionals continues to rise.

Training centres

As of December 2023, India had 76 RPTOs (remote pilot training organisations), which grew to over 150 drone training centres in 2024—a 97.4% increase. These facilities—offering theoretical and practical skills—play a vital role in overcoming regulatory hurdles and infrastructure limitations operators face.

India needs approximately 100,000 drone pilots by 2030 to support its ambition of becoming a global drone hub, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had said earlier.

“Collaboration between companies and local governments has been key in establishing training centres and enhancing infrastructure,” explains Ankit Mehta, CEO of ideaForge. 

Awareness campaigns further educate the public about the benefits of drones, encouraging wider adoption. Under the Namo Drone Didi scheme, which provides drones to 15,000 women self-help groups for agricultural use, the women will also be educated on the operational benefits of drones, such as how to efficiently spray fertilizers and pesticides.

According to Surabhi Sanyukta, VP – Investments, BlackSoil, these training centres are instrumental in bridging skill gaps. “By focusing on Tier II and III cities, these programmes are creating pathways for scalable growth, especially for startups introducing drone-as-a-service models to reduce upfront costs.”

Smit Shah, President of the Drone Federation of India, also notes that minimal infrastructure is needed to set up a training centre. “The minimum requirement for setting up a training school is two drones, two instructors, two classrooms, and approximately two acres of land—what we call the ‘rule of two-to-two.’”

He also adds that the drone training ecosystem is generating high-quality, technologically advanced employment opportunities in rural India. “It’s especially impactful in agriculture, where drone spraying helps retain youth in rural areas. A 10th-pass individual with sound health and mind can complete a five-day, 40-hour training programme and start earning a minimum of Rs 30,000 per month.”

Government initiatives

India’s regulatory framework has advanced with the Drone (Amendment) Rules, 2024 allowing alternative identification methods for registration and de-registration. 

In Budget 2024, the government allocated Rs 57 crore for the drone manufacturing sector under the production-inked incentive scheme, marking a 72% increase from the previous year. Additionally, the Namo Drone Didi scheme had earlier received a separate allocation of Rs 1,261 crore for FY23-25.

“These reforms aim to generate over 500,000 jobs and contribute 1.5% to India’s GDP by 2030,” Mandhani adds.

The year of technological innovations

In 2024, drones became popular, with social media reels full of drone shows where hundreds of animated drones fly in formations to create stunning visuals. 

Drones are becoming smarter than ever due to advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and IoT. AI-powered drones can autonomously analyse crop health, monitor soil conditions, and detect pests. “These capabilities optimise resource use and decision-making,” Sanyukta remarks.

Jayaprakash highlights trends such as DaaS models and 5G integration promise to revolutionise logistics and infrastructure inspection.

“Defence and logistics will dominate growth over the next decade,” predicts Sanyukta. “Innovations in combat drones, electronic warfare, and flying taxis for human transportation will redefine the sector.”

According to Prem Kumar Vislawath, CEO and Co-founder of Marut Drones, “Technological advancements in drones, such as longer battery life, enhanced AI, and improved sensors, are driving new applications like precision farming, medical supply delivery, and large-scale infrastructure surveying.” 

Despite significant growth, there was a 10.57% decline in funding for startups in 2024 compared with the previous year. According to Tracxn, the drone sector raised $100.1 million across 35 funding rounds in 2024.

Empowering women through drones

Programmes like the Kisan Drone Yojana make drones more affordable and accessible in rural areas, offering financial aid, training, and practical applications to integrate drone technology into farming, thereby enhancing productivity and income for farmers.

“Drones are empowering farmers by reducing costs and improving yields,” Mandhani adds.

Initiatives like the Namo Drone Didi scheme enable women to earn an additional income of approximately Rs 1 lakh per year by offering drone services on a rental basis to farmers. The government provides substantial financial assistance, covering 80% of the drone and accessory costs, up to Rs 8 lakh, to facilitate the acquisition of drones by SHGs.

Flexible training programmes accommodate household responsibilities, enabling more women to join this burgeoning field. “So far, we’ve trained 100 drone pilots and technicians, 25% of whom are women,” Mandhani shares.

Future of drones in India

The Indian drone market is expected to grow from $654 million in 2024 to $1.437 billion by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17% during this period, according to Markets and Markets. The report also highlights that the volume of drones is projected to increase from 10,803 units in 2024 to 61,393 units by 2029.

The sector is set for transformative growth by 2025, driven by advancements in AI, ML, 5G technology, and evolving policy frameworks.

Jayaprakash roots for a stronger focus on indigenous development, local manufacturing, and leveraging AI to create “smart drones” with enhanced autonomy, improved battery life, flight time, and affordability.

Regulatory changes, including the approval of VLOS (visual line of sight) operations, are set to expand drone applications in medical deliveries, logistics, and disaster response, attracting significant investments, notes Bhardwaj. 

Vislawath adds that unmanned traffic management systems will ensure safe airspace integration, while state-certified drone testing facilities will expedite R&D and certifications. 

Additionally, experts believe eVTOL policies will pave the way for urban air mobility with drone taxis and swarm technology will enhance surveillance and inspections. Efforts in skill development will focus on indigenising drone components and state-level adoption of drones for firefighting and land mapping will grow, supported by regional policy incentives.

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, the architect of India’s economic reforms, died on Thursday night. He was 92.

Singh’s death was announced by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, where he was admitted to the emergency ward around 8.30 PM in a critical condition.

An AIIMS bulletin said “he was treated for age-related medical conditions and had sudden loss of consciousness at home” on December 26.

“Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to medical emergency at AIIMS Delhi at 8.06 pm. Despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9.51 pm,” said the bulletin.

Singh, who was prime minister for two terms in the Congress-led UPA government from 2004 to 2014, had been in poor health for the last few months.

He is survived by his wife Gurcharan Singh and three daughters.

Singh, who was finance minister under the then prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, was the architect and the brainchild of economic reforms in 1991 that pulled India from the brink of bankruptcy and ushered in an era of economic liberalisation that is widely believed to have changed the course of India’s economic trajectory.