M P Mohammed Aadil, a Plus 2 student from Kasaragod, became an overnight sensation after he flew in — quite literally — with a self-built drone at a recent district-level reopening ceremony of Naipuni Skill Development Centres at his school, VPPMKPS GVHSS, Thrikaripur.

Aadil crafted the drone in just a week, spending a little over ₹15,000 on parts like a flight controller, motors, speed controllers, GPS unit, and propellers. He planned for the drone to shower flower petals on guests during the event.

The flight, however, had a rocky start. A gust of wind brought down the drone on its first flight. On the second attempt, it flew away uncontrollably — Aadil had to skip installing a GPS due to time constraints. The drone was later recovered, and despite the hiccups, his innovation was met with admiration.

Tinkering with electronics has been a passion for Aadil since childhood. From dismantling and reassembling toys, to building robots that can fetch groceries, clean the house, and serve food, Aadil has come a long way. He has also trained teachers in robotics and is well-known in local tech circles for his creations.

Currently pursuing Computer Science and Assistant Robotics, Aadil dreams of becoming a robotics engineer, launching his own tech company, and filing patents for his inventions.