Mayasri Tranny From Tamil Nadu Takes Center Stage At Bharat Drone Mahotsav – The New Indian Express

Express press service

CHENNAI: “Like men and women, we have talent and can become pilots or CEOs. Judge us by our talent, not our gender,” said Mayasri, 24, one of the first trans-woman drone pilots state to have trained at Anne University.

Last Saturday, Mayasri stole the show at Bharat Drone Mahotsav. She addressed an audience of the brightest in the drone industry during a panel discussion. It was beyond his wildest dreams. “Until six months ago, I was begging on the streets of Chennai and struggling to arrange two meals a day. But, recently, I shared a stage with renowned faces of the drone industry in Delhi, m addressing an august gathering at the national event inaugurated by the prime minister,” said Mayasri, who hails from Tiruchy.

Mayasri is one of the first four transpeople to be trained and appointed as drone pilots by Anna University Aerospace Research Center (CASR) Remote Pilot Training Organization (RPTO).

As part of Indian Oil’s CSR activity, Mayasri and three other transpeople were identified by an NGO and trained as drone pilots at the RPTO. Currently, she is an instructor at the RPTO and trains future drone pilots.

But, the journey to the heavens has been eventful. Although she has a bachelor’s degree in computer science, she did not find a job due to her identity. Additionally, when Mayasri came out in public as a trans woman, she was disowned by her family.

“Like other transpeople, I too went through hell and survived with the odd jobs usually done by my community. But, since November 2021, when I landed at Anna University to train in drone piloting , my life has become smoother. Today, I am training police officers, agriculture officials. This work is not just about money but it has brought dignity and respect,” Mayasri said.

Since Mayasri, RPTO has trained at least 14 transpersons as drone pilots. Several have been absorbed by Daksha, a company run by Anna University, 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 transpeople went through training and they were absorbed into Daksha for different projects based on their talent. We need to give transpeople an equal chance to work and prove themselves,” said CEO of Daksha Unmanned Systems, N Ramanathan.

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