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Drone technology is the future and it will help many people get jobs and the youth especially to get opportunities to pursue their dreams,” says Hyderabad based Mehernosh Dittia, founder and director of Lighthouse Training. He has tied up with IAD (Indian Academy of Drones) and Dronitech headquartered in Bombay to start the Hyderabad based operations for Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and other southern states. A certified drone pilot himself and an aerial photographer, the 50-year-old notes, "IAD is part of a bigger gamut of offering of services related to drones and drone technology. The word drone was born from the bumble bee (a drone is a male bee).” IAD is part of Dronovation Software Solutions Private Limited which deals with a pilot training and aerial cinematography certificate program and Dronitech which provides services in various applications using drones as a platform of delivery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The pilot training certificate course is a five-day stint as prescribed by DGCA (Director General of Civil Aviation) which covers a curriculum of what is needed to be a drone pilot: in brief it is about drones, the structure, the types, weight categories, uses in terms of applications, components, flight checks, electronics and more. The student has to be at least 18 years old and must know English (grade 10 is the minimum qualification). The entire course is taught in English and the communication with DGCA and air traffic control is in English.  For young students it’s a wonderful opportunity. You need not be an engineer or an aeronautical engineer; anyone who is passionate about flying and the drone technology can get into it.
"All students would go through theory, flight simulation and practical tests before they earn their certificate with a unique pilot number and a pilot card. This would then enable them to take on assignments with clients (under guidelines) and earn a living. As and when the DGCA opens its doors to these pilots to apply for a permanent drone pilot license, these certificates will come in handy as preference would be given to them. They could start their own venture or get absorbed into one of the industries that utilizes drone technology to service their clients.” 
IAD has churned out over 300 pilots since it started in 2018 and the numbers are growing ever since the IAD Hyderabad unit started in March 2019 under the Lighthouse Training banner. Enquiries in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have crossed 400. "We have completed two pilot batches and one aerial cinematography batch and this is just the beginning.” Dittia ensures that each batch has only 10 students for the pilot’s course and 15 for the aerial videography course so that the students get individual attention.
"I have always wanted to fly since I was in school. I never really made it to the air force or the commercial aviation industry but that didn’t stop me from flying simulators. I learnt what I could about aircraft and choppers and when I got the chance, even picked up a small drone and taught myself to fly. Being a photographer, it was natural to take to aerial work. So when I saw the opportunity to fly drones legally, I did not think twice and jumped in to pursue this passion as well. As the saying goes, when you enjoy your work, you enjoy life as well. You can never go wrong if your passion becomes your career.”
Dittia has over three decades of work experience of which 23 years are in the field of human resource (HR), learning, talent development, quality and service excellence. He has been involved in strategy and deployment with the top management of companies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I have done work for corporate clients across sectors like insurance, railways, oil and gas, banking, information technology, information technology enabled services, telecom, retail and healthcare.” Dittia has been a senior facilitator in companies like Microsoft, Reliance Telecom, Vertex, IBM Daksh, State Bank of India, Reserve Bank of India, Bharat Overseas Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Indian Railways and Coca Cola, to name a few. He has been associated with educational institutes such as Amity, Skyline Business School, Brooks University, ISTTM, Chitkara and Inlead Business School.”  He specializes in the transition of students from campus to industry preparing them to take on the corporate world.
Founded in 2014 as an HR and people development firm, the name Lighthouse has been chosen and with a purpose. "Many people spend too much time trying to be the captain of someone else’s boat. Learn to be a lighthouse and other boats will find their way to you.”
"Strange as my career choice may sound, my 92-year-old mother Perin Bazun Dittia (see "Gourmet grannies,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, April 7, 2019) and son Mahir, who is 24 years old and working at ITC Kohenur Hotel in Hyderabad and others in the family have been supportive. They have never tried to dissuade me. So when my mother would ask, ‘taru drone nu kai thaich ké (Anything happening about your drones)?’ that was the best thing!”
"Dittia,” as some of his old colleagues address him, is a man of many other hobbies and interests. He is a tarot card reader, a Reiki practitioner, a graphologist, a golf and swimming enthusiast. He has very little free time "which is really a small window of opportunity to do something else, but I am grateful for that as it is used for reading, catching up on technology and spirituality both in print and on the internet.
"Music is a big part of my life. I sing, and as my son plays multiple instruments I hope one day we will jam together. Watching the IPL (Indian Premier League) and some of the major games  and catching up on some good movies is something I look forward to on holidays. Friends, though few, are an important part of my life, so whenever there is an opportunity I am with them. I make it a point to sit with my mother and listen to her stories about the current, nonsensical TV serials and complaints about politicians. If I get to hear two sentences from my nocturnal son, then I have scored (we hardly meet, thanks to his work timings).”
Asked if his was a typically Parsi upbringing, he responded, "Well a lot of the life I am leading is ‘bawa culture’ but truly I couldn’t put my finger on it. Dad was an IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer and his crowd was a potpourri of people from all walks of life. So throughout my growing up years I have been exposed across the spectrum of people and their cultures. However, ‘Agiary javanu ché and Sunday dhansak’ were staples along with golfing with my father and his Parsi friends in Hyderabad… and then the usual wining and dining. However, with all the eating, there was very strict discipline and a regimen I was put through (army style) with no shortcuts; and I am glad it happened for today I am standing on my two feet.”
 Born and brought up in Hyderabad, Dittia did his schooling from HPS (Hyderabad Public School) and graduated with a BCom degree from Nizam’s College in Hyderabad. A post graduate in human resource management from Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur and an MBA in marketing from the Indian Institute of Marketing, Dittia is a certified internal auditor for ISO 9000 quality management. He is also a diploma holder in quality and processes for total quality management. He is an assessor of organizational performance framework and assessment, the Malcolm Baldrige way, and a Certified Professional Behavioural Analyst (CPBA). He is a certified NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programer) practitioner and a NABH (National Association for Board of Healthcare) internal auditor for hospitals.

 

 

 

"Throughout I have been an average student not really very interested in getting high grades, what mattered was what I learned that would be useful to me at a later date, not the marks I got.” He says, "I lived with a thirst for knowledge in every area of life. I started my journey into philosophy and pursued Buddhist and Vedanta teachings when I was still very young. Not to forget my understanding of our own religion as a Zoroastrian. I am here in human form for a purpose and I will accomplish as much as I can in this life to complete my karmic duties and ensure I create good karma while I am on earth.”
His advice to the community: "Stick to the basics and reality. If the youth were given the right vision by passionate people who are proud to be Parsis who have done wonders for this great country of ours, I don’t see why our youth will not and cannot bring back those glorious years. The best gift that we can give our children is education, exposure and allow them to experience life in their own way.
"It is my endeavor to engage with young Parsi boys and girls and share my experiences with them, to tell them the importance of developing people management skills, emotional control and focusing on self-development and human evolution.
 "If we need to take a quota from the government to get seats for our children then, so be it. What’s the harm? Times have changed, challenges are more and opportunities are shrinking with growing technology and many more people in the race for the same job. We need to give our community and its youth that much needed push if we have to survive and save our identity and culture. There is a saying that unfortunately people have forgotten, ‘if we don’t change when needed then we will be changed by change itself.’”