Sonal Baid becomes first Indian to be featured in 'Women to Watch in UAS' list of Awards 2018
On December 1 this year, India's first ever drone policy will come into effect. At a time when India is adapting to emerging global technological trends, 28-year-old Sonal Baid has become the only Indian to feature in the UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) list 2018.
Earlier this month, Women and Drones had announced its 'Women to Watch in UAS' list 2018. This year, among 288 nominations from around the globe, Sonal Baid, an aeronautical engineer from Vadodara, Gujarat, became the first Indian to be featured in it.
The Women to Watch in UAS list is an annual event which was organised by the Women and Drone group (An online global platform for women in UAS industry), in partnership with Delair, GLOBHE and Sundance Media group. The first list was announced in 2017 with 110 nominations.
Sonal was fascinated by airplanes since her childhood. She recalls,
From my very first childhood memories, I remember two things — going to the park with my grandfather and going to my small town airport with my dad every Sunday, just to watch airplanes take off and land. I have always been super excited about machines, especially flying machines.
Sonal pursued her graduation in Aeronautical Engineering from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Technology (SVIT), Vasad, Gujarat. After her graduation, she worked with Tata HAL Technologies. She later moved to Genpact, says The Better India.
Sonal's tryst with drones continued, as she went on to pursue her Masters in Technology Management. After she joined as an intern in Kittyhawk, a San Fransisco based startup, which develops drones.
At present, Sonal heads the product management and strategic operations, and strives to raise awareness about drones among the masses.
When asked about her views on emerging startups in aerospace in India she said,
There aren’t many startups in the aerospace industry in India. I worked with big corporations back home; and like the US, in India too, these big corporations follow a lot of hierarchy, and as a result, the growth is slower. I feel, there is not much of an impact on the culture in the industry based on the geography. It’s the startup culture that is playing the major role in defining the industry.
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Here’s all you need to know about India’s new drone policy
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