Urvashi Kikani
People have witnessed continuous technological shift; daily some advancements take place in tech. It has been easing our day-to-day life, now we don’t have to stand in long queues to get travel tickets, or we don’t have to eat cold food. We can just heat it in the microwave. Like this, technology has also been helping in keeping us safe; for example, now, with CCTVs, we can easily keep an eye on a place, or with drones, now officers can easily detect bombs so that no harm is caused. Many hardworking people have been working and experimenting with technology to bring something new. One such person is the Co-founder and Chief R&D officer of Aerobotics7, Urvashi Kikani.
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From the very start, Urvashi had the zeal to do something to better humanity. She got to know about a project EAGLE A7 on which a young drone-based tech innovator Harshwardhan Zala was working, and she decided to join that project. The main aim was to make drones that could easily detect explosives even if buried deep inside or made of plastic. Urvashi and Harshwardhan started working together on the drone tech. As Urvashi was an Aeronautical Engineering and was the research and development head, she focused on doing R&D and sharing her expertise in the best technological options. She also managed the team of other engineers working on the project. Gradually their hard work paid off; they signed many MoUs and were offered a lot of partnerships with organizations and companies from around the world like Gujarat Government, Korean Mine Research Institute in Seoul, South Korea, etc.
The project also got selected by the Indian Army to get tested in a real-field environment, and it got many successful results. They have worked on creating more than 7 prototype versions aiming to help organizations globally. However, Urvashi’s journey has not been easy; she was always fascinated by the aircraft, but many gender-biased objections were raised against her, she overcame them all and dedicatedly studied Aeronautical Engineering and aced it.
Talking about her journey, Urvashi Kikani shares, “The journey has been quite fun because I got to learn many things, but it had few roadblocks. While developing the tech, we had to solve a ton of errors that occurred, and other than we had to make sure to remain within a budget because our sector was a costly one. We did face a lot of backlash and criticism, but we fought all the hurdles, and today, I am proud to say that we are at a stage to deliver the products to the ones who need them.”
Further sharing her success mantra and advice for budding entrepreneurs, she added, “I always try to understand the problems and then come to any solution; this has kept me driven. For me, the company's core values and people always come first. Also, if you are a budding entrepreneur, remember that being true to yourself and your work will make you reach heights that you never even thought of. Before starting any project, ask yourself if you are willing to work wholeheartedly towards it; if yes, no one can stop you.”
Recently Urvashi also got selected for the ‘Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2022’ by Young Achievers Forum India; all her devotion towards her work in Technology & Entrepreneurship paid off. She believes that all this is just a beginning and there is a lot more to come. Currently, the company Aerobotics7 is focusing on entering the American market and building the best technology, which can further be provided to the global market. All this will eventually help in making this world a better place.