CHENNAI: "Like men and women, we are talented and can become pilots or CEOs. Judge us by our talent, not by our gender," said 24-year-old Mayasri, one of the State's first few transwomen drone pilots who trained at Anna University.
Last Saturday, Mayasri stole the spotlight at the Bharat Drone Mahotsav. She addressed an audience of the drone industry’s brightest during a panel discussion. This was beyond her wildest dreams. "Till six months ago, I was begging on the streets of Chennai and struggling to arrange two square meals a day. But, recently, I shared a stage with renowned faces of the drone industry at Delhi, addressing an august gathering at the national event inaugurated by the PM," Mayasri, a native of Tiruchy, said.
Mayasri is one among the first four transpersons who were trained and appointed as drone pilots by the Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO) at the Centre for Aerospace Research (CASR), Anna University.
As a part of CSR activity by Indian Oil, Mayasri and three other transpersons were identified by an NGO and were trained as drone pilots at the RPTO. Currently, she is an instructor at the RPTO and trains upcoming drone pilots.
But, the journey to the skies was turbulent. Despite having a B.Sc degree in computer science, she did not get employment due to her identity. Further, when Mayasri came out in public as a transwoman, she was disowned by her family.
"Like other transpersons, I have also been through hell and survived with the odd jobs usually done by my community. But, since November 2021, when I landed in Anna University to train as a drone pilot, my life has become sweeter. Today, I train police officers, agriculture officials. This job is not just about money but it has brought dignity and respect," said Mayasri.
Since Mayasri, RPTO has trained at least 14 transpersons as drone pilots. Several were absorbed by Daksha, a firm under Anna University's guidance, which operates drones with applications in surveillance, agriculture and defence. CASR director K Senthil Kumar said, "Mayasri's participation was a proud moment for the institute."
"The batch of transpersons underwent training and they were absorbed by the Daksha for different projects based on their talent. We must give transpersons an equal opportunity to work and prove themselves," said Daksha Unmanned Systems CEO N Ramanathan.