Market Research Report

A quick peek into the report

1.1   Industry Outlook
1.1.1   Overview of Drones
1.1.1.1   Evolving Earth Observation Data and Services Market
1.1.1.2   Manufacturing-Focused Approach to Earth Observation Drones Market
1.1.2   Ongoing and Upcoming Trends
1.1.2.1   Drone deployment for Environmental Risk Monitoring
1.1.3   Miniaturization of Drones for Earth Observation Applications
1.1.4   High Altitude Pseudo Satellites (HAPS): Bridging Drones and Conventional Satellites
1.2   Key Countries Regulatory Landscape
1.3   Value Chain Analysis
1.4   Startup and Investment Scenario
1.5   Business Dynamics
1.5.1   Business Drivers
1.5.1.1   Increase in Demand for Drones Post COVID-19
1.5.1.2   Entry of Multiple Downstream Geospatial Service Providers
1.5.1.3   Increasing Utilization of Drone Imagery Along with Satellite Imagery for Enhanced Geospatial Intelligence
1.5.1.4   Increasing Need for On-Demand Aerial Survey Requirements
1.5.2   Business Challenges
1.5.2.1   Government Regulations for Drone Manufacturing and Sales
1.5.2.2   Need for Qualified Operators to Conduct Drone Imaging Missions
1.5.2.3   Short Term Challenges
1.5.2.3.1   Impact of Russia-Ukraine Conflict on Commercial Industry
1.5.2.3.2   Drone Batteries Supply Chain Shortage
1.5.3   Business Opportunities
1.5.3.1   Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Drones and Imagery Analytics
1.5.3.2   Growing Adoption of Earth Observation Drones by Civil Government
1.5.4   Business Strategies
1.5.4.1   New Product Development and Market Development
1.5.5   Corporate Strategies
1.5.5.1   Partnerships, Collaborations, Agreements, Mergers, and Contracts

2.1   Earth Observation Drones Market (by Application)
2.1.1   Market Overview
2.1.1.1   Demand Analysis of Earth Observation Drones Market (by Application)
2.1.2   Environmental Monitoring
2.1.3   Disaster Management
2.1.4   Surveying and Mapping
2.1.5   Search and Rescue
2.1.6   Surveillance and Reconnaissance
2.1.7   Industrial Inspection and Monitoring
2.1.8   Agriculture and Forestry
2.1.9   Cinematography
2.2   Earth Observation Drones Market (by End User)
2.2.1   Market Overview
2.2.2   Military
2.2.3   Civil Government
2.2.4   Commercial

3.1   Earth Observation Drones Market (by Drone Type)
3.1.1   Market Overview
3.1.1.1   Demand Analysis of Earth Observation Drones Market (by Drone Type)
3.1.2   Fixed-Wing
3.1.3   Rotor-Wing
3.2   Earth Observation Drones Market (by Sensor Type)
3.2.1   Market Overview
3.2.2   LiDAR
3.2.3   Hyperspectral Sensor
3.2.4   Infrared Sensor
3.2.5   Electro-Optical Sensor
3.2.6   Red Green Blue (RGB) Sensor
3.2.7   Ground Penetrating Radar

4.1   Earth Observation Drones Market (by Region)
4.2   North America
4.2.1   Market
4.2.1.1   Key Manufacturers and Suppliers in North America
4.2.2   Application
4.2.2.1   North America Earth Observation Drones Market
4.2.3   North America (by Country)
4.2.3.1   U.S.
4.2.3.1.1   Market
4.2.3.1.1.1   Key Manufacturers and Suppliers in the U.S.
4.2.3.1.2   Application
4.2.3.1.2.1   U.S. Earth Observation Drones Market
4.2.3.2   Canada
4.2.3.2.1   Market
4.2.3.2.1.1   Key Manufacturers and Suppliers in Canada
4.2.3.2.2   Application
4.2.3.2.2.1   Canada Earth Observation Drones Market
4.3   Europe
4.3.1   Market
4.3.1.1   Key Manufacturers and Suppliers in Europe
4.3.2   Applications
4.3.2.1   Europe Earth Observation Drones Market
4.3.3   Europe (by Country)
4.3.3.1   U.K.
4.3.3.1.1   Market
4.3.3.1.1.1   Key Manufacturers and Suppliers in the U.K.
4.3.3.1.2   Application
4.3.3.1.2.1   U.K. Earth Observation Drones Market
4.3.3.2   Germany
4.3.3.2.1   Market
4.3.3.2.1.1   Key Manufacturers in Germany
4.3.3.2.2   Application
4.3.3.2.2.1   Germany Earth Observation Drones Market
4.3.3.3   France
4.3.3.3.1   Market
4.3.3.3.1.1   Key Players in France
4.3.3.3.2   Application
4.3.3.3.2.1   France Earth Observation Drones Market
4.3.3.4   Russia
4.3.3.4.1   Market
4.3.3.4.2   Key Players in Russia
4.3.3.4.3   Application
4.3.3.4.3.1   Russia Earth Observation Drones Market
4.3.3.5   Rest-of-Europe
4.3.3.5.1   Market
4.3.3.5.1.1   Key Players in Rest-of-Europe
4.3.3.5.2   Application
4.3.3.5.2.1   Rest-of-Europe Earth Observation Drones Market
4.4   Asia-Pacific
4.4.1   Market
4.4.1.1   Key Manufacturers and Suppliers in Asia-Pacific
4.4.2   Application
4.4.2.1   Asia-Pacific Earth Observation Drones Market
4.4.3   Asia-Pacific (by Country)
4.4.3.1   China
4.4.3.1.1   Market
4.4.3.1.1.1   Key Manufacturers and Suppliers in China
4.4.3.1.2   Application
4.4.3.1.2.1   China Earth Observation Drones Market
4.4.3.2   India
4.4.3.2.1   Market
4.4.3.2.1.1   Key Manufacturers and Suppliers in India
4.4.3.2.2   Application
4.4.3.2.2.1   India Earth Observation Drones Market
4.4.3.3   Japan
4.4.3.3.1   Market
4.4.3.3.1.1   Key Manufacturers and Suppliers in Japan
4.4.3.3.2   Application
4.4.3.3.2.1   Japan Earth Observation Drones Market
4.4.3.4   Rest-of-Asia-Pacific
4.4.3.4.1   Market
4.4.3.4.1.1   Key Manufacturers and Suppliers in Rest-of-Asia-Pacific
4.4.3.4.2   Application
4.4.3.4.2.1   Rest-of-Asia-Pacific Earth Observation Drones Market
4.5   Rest-of-the-World
4.5.1   Market
4.5.1.1   Key Manufacturers and Suppliers in Rest-of-the-World
4.5.2   Application
4.5.2.1   Rest-of-the-World Earth Observation Drones Market
4.5.3   Rest-of-the-World (by Region)
4.5.3.1   Middle East and Africa
4.5.3.1.1   Market
4.5.3.1.1.1   Middle East and Africa Earth Observation Drones Market
4.5.3.2   Latin America
4.5.3.2.1   Market
4.5.3.2.1.1   Latin America Earth Observation Drones Market

5.1   Competitive Benchmarking
5.2   DJI
5.2.1   Company Overview
5.2.1.1   Role of DJI in the Earth Observation Drones Market
5.2.1.2   Product Portfolio
5.2.2   Business Strategies
5.2.2.1   New Product Launches, Investments and Expansions, and Fundings
5.2.3   Corporate Strategies
5.2.3.1   Partnerships
5.2.4   Analyst View
5.3   Parrot Drone SAS
5.3.1   Company Overview
5.3.1.1   Role of Parrot Drone SAS in the Earth Observation Drones Market
5.3.1.2   Product Portfolio
5.3.2   Corporate Strategies
5.3.2.1   Partnerships, Agreements, and Contracts
5.3.3   R&D Analysis
5.3.4   Analyst View
5.4   Lockheed Martin Corporation
5.4.1   Company Overview
5.4.1.1   Role of Lockheed Martin Corporation in the Earth Observation Drones Market
5.4.1.2   Product Portfolio
5.4.2   Business Strategies
5.4.2.1   New Product Launches
5.4.3   Corporate Strategies
5.4.3.1   Agreements and Contracts
5.4.4   Analyst View
5.5   AeroVironment, Inc.
5.5.1   Company Overview
5.5.1.1   Role of AeroVironment, Inc. in the Earth Observation Drones Market
5.5.1.2   Product Portfolio
5.5.2   Corporate Strategies
5.5.2.1   Contracts and Acquisitions
5.5.3   R&D Analysis
5.5.4   Analyst View
5.6   General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (General Atomics)
5.6.1   Company Overview
5.6.1.1   Role of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. in the Earth Observation Drones Market
5.6.1.2   Product Portfolio
5.6.2   Business Strategies
5.6.2.1   New Product Launches
5.6.3   Corporate Strategies
5.6.3.1   Contracts
5.6.4   Analyst View
5.7   Northrop Grumman Corporation
5.7.1   Company Overview
5.7.1.1   Role of Northrop Grumman Corporation in the Earth Observation Drones Market
5.7.1.2   Product Portfolio
5.7.2   Corporate Strategies
5.7.2.1   Partnerships and Contracts
5.7.3   R&D Analysis
5.7.4   Analyst View
5.8   Embention
5.8.1   Company Overview
5.8.1.1   Role of Embention in the Earth Observation Drones Market
5.8.1.2   Product Portfolio
5.8.2   Corporate Strategies
5.8.2.1   Partnerships and Agreements
5.8.3   Analyst View
5.9   Hubsan
5.9.1   Company Overview
5.9.1.1   Role of Hubsan in the Earth Observation Drones Market
5.9.1.2   Product Portfolio
5.9.2   Business Strategies
5.9.2.1   New Product Launches
5.9.3   Analyst View
5.10 INSITU (The Boeing Company)
5.10.1   Company Overview
5.10.1.1   Role of INSITU in the Earth Observation Drones Market
5.10.1.2   Product Portfolio
5.10.2   Corporate Strategies
5.10.2.1   Partnerships and Contracts
5.10.3   Analyst View
5.11   AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc.
5.11.1   Company Overview
5.11.1.1   Role of AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. in the Earth Observation Drones Market
5.11.1.2   Product Portfolio
5.11.2   Business Strategies
5.11.2.1   Business Expansion
5.11.3   Corporate Strategies
5.11.3.1   Acquisitions
5.11.4   Analyst View
5.12   Autel Robotics
5.12.1   Company Overview
5.12.1.1   Role of Autel Robotics in the Earth Observation Drones Market
5.12.1.2   Product Portfolio
5.12.2   Business Strategies
5.12.2.1   New Product Launches
5.12.3   Corporate Strategies
5.12.3.1   Partnerships
5.12.4   Analyst View
5.13   Ehang
5.13.1 Company Overview
5.13.1.1 Role of Ehang in the Earth Observation Drones Market
5.13.1.2 Product Portfolio
5.13.2   R&D Analysis
5.13.3   Analyst View
5.14   Raytheon Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Missiles & Defense)
5.14.1   Company Overview
5.14.1.1   Role of Raytheon Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Missiles & Defense) in the Earth Observation Drones Market
5.14.1.2   Product Portfolio
5.14.2   Corporate Strategies
5.14.2.1   Contract
5.14.3   Analyst View
5.15   Drone Volt S.A.
5.15.1 Company Overview
5.15.1.1 Role of Drone Volt S.A. in the Earth Observation Drones Market
5.15.1.2 Product Portfolio
5.15.2   Business Strategies
5.15.2.1   New Product Launches and Expansion
5.15.3   Corporate Strategies
5.15.3.1   Partnerships, Mergers and Acquisitions, Contracts, and Agreements
5.15.4   R&D Analysis
5.15.5   Analyst View
5.16   Plymouth Rock Technologies
5.16.1 Company Overview
5.16.1.1 Role of Plymouth Rock Technologies in the Earth Observation Drones Market
5.16.1.2 Product Portfolio
5.16.2   Business Strategies
5.16.2.1   New Product Launches
5.16.3   Corporate Strategies
5.16.3.1   Partnerships, Collaboration, Contracts, Agreements, and Acquisition
5.16.4   Analyst View
5.17   Other Key Emerging Players
5.17.1   Wingtra AG
5.17.1.1   Company Overview
5.17.2   Eagletronics Aviation Private Limited
5.17.2.1   Company Overview
5.17.3   Skydio
5.17.3.1   Company Overview
5.17.4   Anduril Industries
5.17.4.1   Company Overview
5.17.5   Azur Drones
5.17.5.1   Company Overview
5.17.6   Evolve Dynamics
5.17.6.1   Company Overview

6.1   Earth Observation Drone Manufacturers
6.1.1   Growth Opportunity 1: Increasing Demand for Surveillance Drones Amid the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
6.1.2   Recommendations
6.1.3   Growth Opportunity 2: Adoption of Automation Technology for Drone Operations
6.1.4   Recommendations
6.1.5   Growth Opportunity 3: Developing Drone Hangars, Ports, Docking Systems, and Support Infrastructure
6.1.6   Recommendations

7.1 Factors for Data Prediction and Modeling

Table 1:   List of Regulatory Authorities Across Key Countries
Table 2:   Startup and Investment Scenario in the Earth Observation Drones Market
Table 3:   New Product Development and Market Development
Table 4:   Partnerships, Collaborations, Agreements, Mergers, and Contracts
Table 5:   Earth Observation Drones Market (by Application), Volume (Number of Units), 2021-2032
Table 6:   Earth Observation Drones Market (by Application), Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Table 7:   Earth Observation Drones Market (by Drone Type), Volume (Number of Units), 2021-2032
Table 8:   Earth Observation Drones Market (by Application), Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Table 9:   Earth Observation Drones Market (by Region), $Million, 2022-2032
Table 10:   Japan Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Table 11:   DJI: Product Portfolio
Table 12:   DJI: New Product Launches
Table 13:   DJI: Partnerships
Table 14:   Parrot Drone SAS: Product Portfolio
Table 15:   Parrot Drones SAS: Partnerships, Agreements, and Contracts
Table 16:   Lockheed Martin Corporation: Product Portfolio
Table 17:   Lockheed Martin Corporation: New Product Launches
Table 18:   Lockheed Martin Corporation: Agreements and Contracts
Table 19:   AeroVironment, Inc.: Product Portfolio
Table 20:   AeroVironment, Inc.: Contracts and Acquisitions
Table 21:   General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.: Product Portfolio
Table 22:   General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.: New Product Launches
Table 23:   General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.: Contracts
Table 24:   Northrop Grumman Corporation: Product Portfolio
Table 25:   Northrop Grumman Corporation: Partnerships and Contracts
Table 26:   Embention: Product Portfolio
Table 27:   Embention: Partnerships and Agreements
Table 28:   Hubsan: Product Portfolio
Table 29:   Hubsan: New Product Launches
Table 30:   INSITU: Product Portfolio
Table 31:   INSITU: Partnerships and Contracts
Table 32:   AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc.: Product Portfolio
Table 33:   AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc.: Business Expansion
Table 34:   AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc.: Acquisitions
Table 35:   Autel Robotics: Product Portfolio
Table 36:   Autel Robotics: New Product Launches
Table 37:   Autel Robotics: Partnerships
Table 38:   Ehang: Product Portfolio
Table 39:   Raytheon Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Missiles & Defense): Product Portfolio
Table 40:   Raytheon Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Missiles & Defense): Contract
Table 41:   Drone Volt S.A.: Product Portfolio
Table 42:   Drone Volt S.A.: New Product Launches and Business Expansion
Table 43:   Drone Volt S.A.: Partnerships, Mergers and Acquisitions, Contracts, and Agreements
Table 44:   Plymouth Rock Technologies: Product Portfolio
Table 45:   Plymouth Rock Technologies: New Product Launches
Table 46:   Plymouth Rock Technologies: Partnerships, Collaboration, Contracts, Agreements, and Acquisition

Figure 1:   Global Earth Observation Drones Market, Volume (Number of Units), 2021-2032
Figure 2:   Global Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Figure 3:   Global Earth Observation Drones Market (by Application), Volume (Number of Units), 2022 and 2032
Figure 4:   Global Earth Observation Drones Market (by Application), Value ($Million), 2022 and 2032
Figure 5:   Global Earth Observation Drones Market (by Application), Volume (Number of Units), 2022 and 2032
Figure 6:   Global Earth Observation Drones Market (by Application), Value ($Million), 2022 and 2032
Figure 7:   Global Earth Observation Drones Market (by Region), $Million, 2022
Figure 8:   Global Earth Observation Drones Market Coverage
Figure 9:   Value Chain Analysis of Earth Observation Drones Market
Figure 10:   Earth Observation Drones Market, Business Dynamics
Figure 11:   Earth Observation Drones Market (by Application)
Figure 12:   Earth Observation Drones Market (by End User)
Figure 13:   North America Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Figure 14:   U.S. Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Figure 15:   Canada Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Figure 16:   Europe Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Figure 17:   U.K. Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Figure 18:   Germany Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Figure 19:   France Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Figure 20:   Russia Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Figure 21:   Rest-of-Europe Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Figure 22:   Asia-Pacific Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Figure 23:   China Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Figure 24:   India Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Figure 25:   Rest-of-Asia-Pacific Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Figure 26:   Rest-of-the-World Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Figure 27:   Middle East and Africa Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Figure 28:   Latin America Earth Observation Drones Market, Value ($Million), 2021-2032
Figure 29:   Earth Observation Drones Market: Competitive Benchmarking, 2021
Figure 30:   Parrot Drone SAS: R&D Analysis, 2018-2020
Figure 31:   AeroVironment, Inc.: R&D Analysis, 2019-2021
Figure 32:   Northrop Grumman Corporation: R&D Analysis, 2019-2021
Figure 33:   Ehang: R&D Analysis, 2018-2020
Figure 34:   : Drone Volt S.A.: R&D Analysis, 2018-2020
Figure 35:   Research Methodology
Figure 36:   Top-Down Approach
Figure 37:   Assumptions and Limitations

Market Report Coverage

Earth Observation Drones Market
Base Year	2021	Market Size in 2021	$9,014.6 Million
Forecast Period	2022-2032	Value Projection and Estimation by 2032	$18,214.9 Million
CAGR During Forecast Period	6.88%	Number of Tables	46
Number of Pages	169	Number of Figures	37

Key Market Players and Competition Synopsis

The companies profiled in the study have been selected based on inputs gathered from primary experts and analysis of the companies’ product portfolios, key developments, and market penetration.

In 2021, the players leading the market included the established players providing Earth observation drones and related hardware, which constituted 60.4% of the presence in the market. The emerging-market participants included start-up entities that accounted for approximately 39.6% of the presence in the market.

Earth Observation Drones Market: Competitive Synopsis

Some prominent established names in this market are:

Company Type 1: Key Earth Observation Drones Manufacturers

•   DJI
•   Parrot Drone SAS
•   Lockheed Martin Corporation
•   AeroVironment, Inc.
•   General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
•   Northrop Grumman Corporation
•   Embention
•   Hubsan
•   INSITU
•   AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc.
•   Autel Robotics
•   Ehang
•   Raytheon Technologies Corporation
•   Drone Volt S.A.
•   Plymouth Rock Technologies

Company Type 2: Emerging Market Participants

•   Wingtra AG
•   Eagletronics Aviation Private Limited
•   Skydio
•   Anduril Industries
•   Azur Drones

How can this report add value to an organization?

Product/Innovation Strategy: The product section will help the reader understand the different solutions for the Earth observation drones market, such as the type of drones and sensors available for various applications, including surveying, monitoring, and inspection. It will also help the readers understand the global potential of different solutions in the Earth observation drones market. The players operating in these markets are developing innovative offerings and are deeply engaged in long-term agreements and contracts with commercial and government agencies. Moreover, the study also examines the investment scenario in the research and development of the Earth observation drones market.

Growth/Marketing Strategy: The players operating in the Earth observation drones market are engaged in several strategies, including strategic partnerships, contracts, agreements, and business expansion. The marketing strategies will help the readers understand the revenue-generating strategies adopted by the drone manufacturing players operating in the Earth observation drones market.

For instance, on 5 April 2022, the Indian drone manufacturer, ideaForge Technology Private Limited, partnered with PV Lumens LLP, a distributor of security, connectivity, and productivity solutions in India, to distribute drones across the country. Additionally, on 10 March 2022, SAFE (National Security Services Company) and Azur Drones entered a strategic partnership for drone-as-a-service solutions in Saudi Arabia and MENA. As part of the agreement, Azur Drones will develop capabilities for the local assembly of autonomous drones in Saudi Arabia.

On 23 February 2022, Plymouth Rock Technologies Inc. was awarded a contract to deliver beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drones to the Norfolk Constabulary in Norfolk, U.K. The deliveries were expected to be completed by April 2022. Moreover, on 5 February 2021, DJI entered a partnership with Shell Oil Company to create, test, and deploy DJI drone technology at its Deer Park Manufacturing Complex. This partnership was expected to improve efficiency and worker safety during industrial inspections and emergency incident response.

Competitive Strategy: The study has analyzed and profiled the key drone manufacturers, start-ups, and emerging players in drone manufacturing in the global Earth observation drones market. These companies capture the maximum share in the global Earth observation drones market. Moreover, a detailed competitive benchmarking of the companies and organizations operating in the Earth observation drones market has been carried out, which will help the reader to understand the performance of the players, exhibiting a clear market landscape. In addition to this, comprehensive competitive strategies such as partnerships, agreements, and collaborations will aid the reader in understanding the untapped revenue pockets in the market.

Industry & Technology Overview

Earth Observation Drones Market Overview

The global Earth observation drones market was valued at $9,014.6 million in 2021, and it is estimated to reach $18,214.9 million by 2032 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.88% during the forecast period 2022-2032. The major factor driving the market growth is expected to be the growing adoption of drones for industrial and commercial applications. During the COVID-19 pandemic period, the adoption of drones for commercial applications such as solar panel inspections, pipeline inspections, oil and gas field monitoring, and agriculture monitoring witnessed a significant rise. Civil-government agencies have also started adopting drones for applications such as border surveillance, civilian monitoring, disaster management, etc.

Market Lifecycle Stage

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, have been used by the military for defense applications such as surveillance, reconnaissance, and situational awareness. The earliest traces of drones date back to 1917, the World War I period when radio control techniques were used to develop the unnamed aerial system. From 1995 onwards, drones for military applications started gaining traction as the U.S. Air Force developed and used the MQ-1 Predator drone, which cost approximately $40 million apiece for surveillance, reconnaissance, and combat applications in conflict zones.

Over 90 years of research and development on drones by military agencies steered the path for the development of the first drone for non-military applications by 2006. In the same year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued its first commercial drone permit. Following this, government agencies began testing drone technologies for public safety applications, such as disaster relief, environmental monitoring, and border surveillance. At the same time, the commercial market started adopting drones for industrial applications such as pipeline inspections, site monitoring, and agriculture evaluation.

At present, utilizing drones for various Earth observation applications such as surveying, mapping, inspections, and surveillance, as well as collecting analytical geospatial data, is advancing at a substantial pace. The related drone services and manufacturing businesses are mushrooming as well. This is owing to the capabilities of drones to collect large volumes of geospatial data more efficiently, quickly, and cost-effectively as compared to satellite imagery.

Impact

During the COVID-19 pandemic period, the use of drones by commercial and civil-government end-users witnessed a significant rise. To comply with the pandemic regulations, many governments and commercial and industrial agencies had to suspend manned inspections and monitoring and rely on drone operations. This gave a significant push to the Earth observation drones market. Additionally, technological advancements and increasing demand for drones from various end-users led to the development of drones that weigh as low as 200 to 500 grams and cost less (around $150 to $500). Companies across the drone industry are developing hi-tech sensors to equip drones such that they can provide analytical data and statistics for everyday critical operations. Moreover, companies are increasing their focus on developing long-endurance drones that can fly at higher altitudes for hours on a stretch.

Emerging applications, such as site inspection, monitoring, aerial patrolling, cinematography, and emergency response, are some of the areas where drones are being used extensively. Moreover, newer technologies, such as the integration of automation and artificial intelligence (AI), are expected to support the growth of drones over the 2022-2032 forecast period.

Market Segmentation:

Segmentation 1: by Application
•   Environmental Monitoring
•   Disaster Management
•   Surveying and Mapping
•   Search and Rescue
•   Surveillance and Reconnaissance
•   Industrial Inspection and Monitoring
•   Agriculture and Forestry
•   Cinematography

For the 2021-2032 period, the global Earth observation drones market is expected to be dominated by the surveillance and reconnaissance application segment.

Segmentation 2: by End-User
•   Military
•   Civil Government
•   Commercial

Based on end-user, the Earth observation drones market is expected to be dominated by commercial end-users. Commercial end-users are expected to garner significant share and growth as government regulations have become more relaxed and drones continue to be cheaper. Moreover, the need for technologically advanced tools in the farming, agricultural, and energy sectors will further generate demand for drones from the commercial end.

Segmentation 3: by Region
• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• Rest-of-the-World

During the forecast period, North America is expected to dominate the Earth observation drones market (by region). The significant presence of key companies engaged in manufacturing Earth observation drones, sensors-related accessories, and repair services is a major factor attributing to the region's growth. A higher number of collaborations between drone manufacturers, sensor manufacturers, analytics providers, and start-ups is another factor driving the market growth. An increasing number of start-ups and emerging players and higher research and development investments by key players in the market are also contributing to the market growth.

Recent Developments in the Earth Observation Drones Market

•   In April 2022, ideaForge Technology Private Limited completed a Series B funding round of $20 million led by Florintree. The existing investors of the company Celesta Capital, a prominent deep tech investment fund, Infosys, Qualcomm, and Infina, along with the Exim Bank of India, also participated. The company aims to utilize this funding for team expansions, research and development, and extending its reach internationally.
•   In March 2022, the Australian Government contracted Insitu Pacific Pty Ltd to deliver the new Tactical Integrator Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to the Australian Army under LAND129 Phase 3. The contract includes delivery, initial support of the UAS and associated ground systems, and prime systems integrator services. The delivery is expected to run through 2023 and 2024.
•   In January 2022, Azur Drones secured funding of nearly $9 million from a private French investor. This funding will support the company’s development in 2022 as the company aims to introduce new solutions in the areas of industrial inspection, gas detection, and quantification, as well as accelerate its international growth.
•   In January 2022, the world's first “Sea-Air Integrated Drone” was disclosed during a flight showcase at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise in Yokohama by Japanese telecommunications company KDDI, Prodrone Co., Ltd, and QYSEA.
•   In August 2021, Shield AI secured $210 million in a Series D funding round, which was led by Disruptive, a U.S.-based late-stage technology investor, with participation from multiple top-tier venture funds, including Point72 Ventures. The company aims to accelerate its plans for growth across the defense and commercial industries.

Demand - Drivers and Limitations

Following are the drivers for the Earth Observation Drones market:

•   Increase in Demand for Drones Post COVID-19
•   Entry of Multiple Downstream Geospatial Service Providers
•   Increasing Utilization of Drone Imagery Along with Satellite Imagery for Enhanced Geospatial Intelligence
•   Increasing Need for On-Demand Aerial Survey Requirements

Following are the challenges for the Earth Observation Drones market:

•   Government Regulations for Drone Manufacturing and Sales
•   Need for Qualified Operators to Conduct Drone Imaging Missions
•   Impact of Russia-Ukraine Conflict on Commercial Industry
•   Drone Batteries Supply Chain Shortage

Following are the opportunities for the Earth Observation Drones market:

• Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Drones and Imagery Analytics
• Growing Adoption of Earth Observation Drones by Civil Government

Analyst’s Perspective

According to Arun Kumar Sampathkumar, Principal Analyst, BIS Research, “While satellite imagery-based analytics are in demand, almost all investigations utilizing satellite imagery use drone-based imaging capability for confirmation of the findings. This has been a driver of the demand for drone-based imaging missions across applications. Drone deployment in security and maintenance of critical national infrastructure is also growing owing to the ease of deployment and low cost of operations. The rise in demand for drone imagery products has resulted in the evolution of multiple aggregator business models that are collating and commercializing customized drone imagery products. The drone imaging service market is growing as a consequence, taking up a large volume of Earth observation drones. The drone manufacturing domain is responding by developing application/sensor-agnostic drones which can accommodate diverse sensor payloads. The evolving regulatory framework for drone operations is also expected to drive these markets moving forward.”