The latest spell of monsoon rain has brought more than just heavy showers to Gujarat.

Floodwaters have submerged homes, disrupted livelihoods and left hundreds of people stranded as rescue teams race against time to reach those trapped.

Across several affected areas, familiar roads disappeared beneath muddy currents. Entire neighbourhoods were cut off, leaving families stranded on rooftops, inside schools and in waterlogged homes. For many, rescue was no longer a matter of distance but of access.

While the Army, local authorities and emergency responders worked tirelessly to evacuate people, another kind of support was taking shape in the skies.

In Dholka, drones helped rescuers locate stranded residents, assess flooded areas and deliver essential supplies to places that had become nearly impossible to reach.

A startup steps into the rescue effort

Among the organisations supporting the operation was Prime UAV, a drone technology company based in Mehsana, Gujarat.

Founded in 2019 by Pradip Patel and Hiten Patel, the startup develops unmanned aerial solutions for agriculture, infrastructure inspections, mapping, surveying and disaster response. It is also recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

Over the years, the company has expanded beyond commercial drone services to build expertise in aerial surveillance, mapping and customised drone solutions — capabilities that become especially valuable during natural disasters, when speed, visibility and access can make a critical difference.

This was not the company's first emergency deployment.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime UAV supported local authorities with........

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