Milind Raj

1. Could you tell us about your education and academic background? How have they shaped your current approach?

I did my schooling at La Martiniere College, Lucknow, and pursued Computer Science in my graduation. I also completed a specialization program in aerospace law. This blend of technology and legal awareness helped me approach innovation with both empathy and responsibility.

2. What marked the beginning of your journey? Could you share how your sensitivity toward animals and technology developed?

My journey began with a deep emotional connection to animals since childhood. Technology became my tool to protect and amplify that care. When I saw suffering, I couldn’t stop with my hands alone, I built machines that could. I have also learnt compassion from the 11th President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who awarded me the title as ‘Drone Man of India’, and my goal of life is to build technology for the constructive side of life, rather than the destructive side.

3. Was there a key moment or decisive encounter that transformed the way you perceive the role of technology in the care of living beings?

Yes. In 2018, witnessing a helpless puppy trapped in a deep drain with no human access point changed everything- literally everything. That moment demanded a solution beyond convention, and I responded with a life-saving drone. It was more than innovation; it was a moral decision.

Since then, the role of technology in saving lives has grown even more profound. On January 23, 2023, my rescue technology was used to save 14 human lives trapped in a collapsed building in Lucknow. Later that year, it played a vital role in the rescue of 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi. And during another building collapse in Transport Nagar, Lucknow, 48 people were successfully rescued with the support of my innovations in life-saving technologies.

These missions didn’t just affirm my belief, but they transformed it. They proved that technology can be a first responder, a guardian, and a bridge between hope and survival for both humans and animals.

4. What are the core values that guide your work today?

Compassion, responsibility, and fearless innovation. These values reflect in my creations, whether it’s a life-rescue drone or a policing robot, each serves life and justice, not just technology.

5. What did the 2018 rescue drone mission mean to you then and now?

At that moment, it meant saving a life. Today, it symbolizes a turning point, when humanity met machinery to serve empathy. It told the world that robots don’t have to be cold; they can carry warmth and kindness, and make this world a happier and healthier place for all.

6. How do you reconcile technological innovation, empathy, and ethical responsibility?

By never letting code silence conscience. Every innovation must ask: “Does this serve life?” If the answer isn’t clear, the design needs rethinking.

7. What does it mean to you to join an initiative like Bonds of Impact?

It really means sharing purpose. Bonds of Impact is not just a platform, it is a collective conscience that recognizes the soulful side of science. I am deeply honored to be part of this dialogue.

8. Have you observed particular cultural sensitivities or approaches to innovation in service of life?

Absolutely. In India, innovation often walks with spirituality and deep respect for all life forms. Internationally, I have seen advanced tech with clinical precision. My work bridges both, using science with soul, and adapting its voice to each community.

9. What are your upcoming projects or areas of exploration related to animal well-being?

I am exploring AI-based early distress detection systems for urban animals, drone-led wildlife health tracking, saving forests using AI robotic technologies, cleaning rivers using solar river-robots and deploying robotic companions in animal shelters. The goal is real-time empathy through data.

10. How can AI and data improve how we care for animals globally?

By transforming observation into intervention. AI can detect suffering before it escalates, predict disease outbreaks, and tailor care based on behavioural analytics, like in homes, streets, forests, or oceans.

11. One message to future generations of committed innovators?

My message would be let your intelligence have a heartbeat. Build what the world ‘needs’, not just what it ‘wants’. Serve life and the future will serve you. Together we can, and we will, make a difference!