Hyderabad: The National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) began using high-end drones for mineral exploration, marking a shift in traditional survey and exploration techniques. Hyderabad-based Marut Drones, which manufactured and calibrated the drones, delivered two custom-built Octacopter drones to NMDC, equipped with advanced sensors such as Magnetometer, Hyperspectral, and Lidar.
According to Marut Drones CEO Prem Kumar Vislawath, the drones are expected to enhance precision and cost-effectiveness in mineral exploration and mapping. “Through our R&D in state-of-the-art infrastructure, we built customised drones to serve different sectors. We believe this is one of the biggest breakthroughs in the mining and exploration space,” said Vislawath.
The mineral exploration drones feature a coaxial design for stability and precise manoeuvrability, critical for navigating challenging terrains. NMDC’s drone-based mineral exploration includes hyperspectral and magnetic surveys, a first in India, targeting resources such as lithium, copper, gold, diamond, and rare earth elements.
