Nepal’s Drone Sector Is Already Flying, and It Could Go Much Higher

Nepal’s drone industry is already helping respond to the devastating Bhotekoshi flood, but the sector could go much further if the country builds the institutional system needed to support it.

Over the past decade, commercial drones have become essential tools for governments and industries worldwide. Nepal has used them since the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, when operators assessed damage, documented heritage sites, mapped landslides and helped plan reconstruction. Today’s drones are far more capable, and Nepali companies are applying them to a widening range of problems.

Over the past five years, drone pilots and entrepreneurs trained in surveying, robotics, engineering and geographic information systems have built businesses in aerial mapping, infrastructure inspection, disaster response, transmission-line installation, wildlife management, agriculture and professional training. Their work has included hauling trash and cargo in the Everest region, dispersing tree seeds, producing large-scale digital maps and using thermal imagery to count wildlife in national parks.

The immediate challenge is not a lack of ability. It is the absence of an effective institutional framework. Regulations form only one part of that framework. Nepal also needs professional licensing, certification pathways, technical standards, training organisations, procurement policies and a coordinated national strategy. The article points to the global drone industry’s expected value of more than $150 billion by the end of the decade as a potential opportunity for Nepal’s digital and engineering talent.

Caution around drones is understandable because they share airspace with conventional aircraft. During the flood response, some inexperienced operators flew too close to rescue helicopters, even as highly skilled pilots supported the emergency effort. Outside disasters, operators still face lengthy approvals for routine flights, while the remote-pilot licensing system has not been fully put into practice. A workable path for local design, assembly and professional recognition could allow Nepal’s drone sector to turn its existing expertise into sustained economic opportunities.