Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the Bengaluru-based founder of Biocon Limited, has sparked a discussion online after sharing a video of a drone cleaning windows and questioning whether startups are doing enough to drive meaningful innovation.
Sharing a video on X, the billionaire entrepreneur wrote, “This is what drones in Bangalore can do - wash windows, roads, pavements n more! Come on start ups. Where’s your innovation?”
The clip showed a drone being used for cleaning operations on a building, demonstrating how the technology can be deployed for maintenance tasks. However, Mazumdar’s comment shifted the focus from the drone itself to the larger question of how startups are using emerging technologies to solve real-world problems.
Take a look below:
(Also Read: Mohandas Pai, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw back Vijay Mallya's role in building RCB brand: 'He must be credited')
What did social media say?
{{/usCountry}}(Also Read: Mohandas Pai, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw back Vijay Mallya's role in building RCB brand: 'He must be credited')
What did social media say?
{{/usCountry}}Mazumdar’s post sparked a discussion online, with many highlighting the wider potential of drones beyond cleaning applications.
“Drones need to be deployed for many other problem statements in the country. Also this space is heavily regulated , so deploying drones for many things is not easy. We have many drone startups in the country which have become operational and performing well too,” one user wrote.
Responding to the comment, Mazumdar said, “Yes that’s the innovation we need.”
Several users suggested other uses for the technology. “We can use such drones for fire fighting in high rise buildings,” suggested one user.
“These drones could be game-changers for firefighting. They can reach high-rise fires where cranes fall short & deployed much faster during emergencies & cost effective,” wrote another.
However, not all reactions were positive. Some users expressed concerns about automation replacing jobs traditionally performed by daily-wage workers, while others argued that innovation should be used for more pressing urban issues like cleaning roads and footpaths. Privacy concerns were also raised.
One user said, “This will directly impact the jobs of poor, daily wage earners. Sad.”
“When BLR is grappling to clear the garbage heaps on pedestrian footpaths, issue of cleaning glass panes is a far off dream... Private sector may think of developing a system to clean roads and streets and footpaths! ON PRIORITY,” commented another.
“The challenge is to manage Cameras, if used. Privacy will be an issue. We are all not so good at self discipline. It should just be a GPS monitored Drone,” wrote one user.