Drone Imaging Services Market

Drone Imaging Services Market Outlook (2023 to 2033)

The global drone imaging services market is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 617.6 million in 2023 and is projected to climb to US$ 3,429.0 million by 2033, expanding at a healthy CAGR of 18.7% during the forecast period of 2023 to 2033.

The drone imaging services market is about 8% of the overall drone service market valued at around US$ 6.6 billion in 2022.

Report Attributes	Details
Market Size (2022A)	US$ 520.3 Million
Estimated Market Value (2023E)	US$ 617.6 Million
Forecasted Market Value (2033F)	US$ 3,429.0 Million
Global Market Growth Rate (2023 to 2033)	~18.7% CAGR
North America Market Share (2022)	~45.0%
East Asia Market Growth Rate (2023 to 2033)	~19.8% CAGR
United States Market Growth Rate (2023 to 2033)	~19.2% CAGR
Key Companies Profiled	3DroneMapping; ABJ Drones; Aerial Robotix; AerialWorks Inc.; AERIUM Analytics; Aerodrome; Aeroview Services; Aeroworks Productions; Aivia Group; AUAV; Avian UAS; Dronegy; DJM Aerial Solutions; DDC Smart Inspection; Falconviz

Rising infrastructure development worldwide

The substantial rise in infrastructure development worldwide will be a leading factor attributing to the demand for drone imaging services. Compared to traditional methods, the utility of drones for site monitoring is cost & time efficient. Infrastructure development like the construction of roads, buildings, railways, and others could substantially be monitored and observed with the help of drone imaging services.

These service providers take images of the sites and with the help of 3D mapping make a tentative design of the structure, which offers the customer an insight to construct a building, roads, or any other infrastructure efficiently. Also, drone imaging services are beneficial in detecting faults in buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure, through which an engineer could figure out timely repair & refurbishment of the building. Therefore, increasing infrastructure development is expected to stimulate the demand for drone imaging services worldwide.

• Short Term (2023 Q1-2026): The drone imaging services have grown in utility in various industry verticals post-COVID pandemic. With the resumption of various construction sites & infrastructure development projects, cost-efficient solutions like drone imaging services for monitoring these sites have grown substantially.
• Medium Term (2026 to 2029): In the Medium term, the market is projected to rise with growing popularity in the entertainment & sports industry. Whereas increasing uses of these services in the agriculture sector, the market is projected to have potential growth in the mid-term.
• Long Term (2029 to 2033): The drone imaging services will be highly in demand from commercial sectors like construction, real estate, mining, oil & gas, and others. These services will efficiently help in monitoring the plants & sites and preventing laborers from various dangers.

East Asia is to rise with the highest CAGR of 19.8% in the forecast period. An increase in disposable income, growth in urbanization, and government support towards utility of drones in entertainment & recreational industry will escalate the market growth in the region.

Market share analysis of drone imaging services based on customer type and region. Under the customer type segment, customers from commercial sector are accounts for 77.0% market share.

What are the factors driving the demand of Drone Imaging Services?

“Increasing drone utility in search & rescue operation”

Drone imaging services are gaining substantial demand in search & rescue operations (SAR). With the help of drone imaging services, the SAR team substantially benefited in offering quick searches, reducing risk to humans, and offering aerial support to people during adverse conditions.

The substantial growth in natural disasters worldwide is leveraging the demand for drone imaging services. According to a study by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), it has been observed that natural disasters have increased with 3X more often than 50 years ago.

As it is a cost-effective solution that offers images of a vast area in a few minutes Also, rescue operators map the entire search zone and determine possible places where a mission person could be trapped.

“Growing demand in military operation”

Drones are part of modern warfare and play a substantial role in military operations. The drones capture images and help soldiers to access & perceive situations in a range of various environments.

With the help of drone imaging services, soldiers identify the movement and location of the enemies. It is a prominent service where an efficient spy on the enemies could be conducted and expels the possibility of losing soldiers while they are entering into dangerous terrains.

The substantial rise of government spending on the defense budget and the adoption of military drones is projected to accelerate the market in the forthcoming period. In India in 2022, the defense ministry approved a budget of about US$ 85 million to purchase swarm drones. Therefore, the growing number of military operations worldwide is driving market growth at a substantial rate.

Key factors restraining the market growth

“Strict government regulation on drone utility”

Stringent government norms regarding the utility of drones are expected to hamper the drone imaging services market. In the United States, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has framed strict regulations regarding the utility of drones for non-recreational purposes. In such regulations, the drone’s operator (business or individual) requires a certificate of authorization to operate drones in the national airspace.

Similarly, In India, to operate a drone, an individual or business need to register with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), occupies a license for it, and should complete a training course from a DGCA-approved institute. With the presence of this strict regulation on operating a drone, drone imaging services are expected to be hampered.

Country-wise Insights

United States to exhibit leading share in drone imaging services market

The United States is a well-established marketplace for drone imaging services. The country has observed the substantial utility of drones in various industry verticals like agriculture, construction, real estate, entertainment, and public administration.

The significant rise in infrastructure development like building production, bridge development, and others in the region will be a core factor establishing the demand for these services. Engineers and contractors use these services to monitor & manage infrastructure development, inspection, and pavement distress recognition. The United States spends around 2 percent of its GDP on infrastructure development, which is a potential factor attributing to the demand for drone imaging services.

Moreover, the country is observed the adoption of various advanced technologies. With a mature entertainment market in the region, these services have tremendous utility in capturing shots that are previously impossible to take, dangerous, or cost prohibited.

China to rise with fastest CAGR

The Chinese drone imaging market is highly fragmented and projected to rise with a CAGR of 20.4% during the forecast period.

China's drone imaging services market is driven by the growing utility in the agriculture sector, rising homeownership, and increasing healthcare sector. In the agriculture sector, these services are adopted to have images of the field, the situation of the crops, soil analysis, and monitoring live stocks.

With the spread of COVID-19 in the country drone imaging services are used by government authorities for inspection & imaging of residential areas, shops, parks, and construction sites. This substantially helped in identifying people who are disobeying COVID-19 policies and preventing people from public gatherings.

 In real estate drone photography services plays an essential role in capturing photos that could be helpful for contractors or agents in marketing the property, showcasing the area & environment surrounding the properties, and making it appealing to the buyers. 

Category-wise Insights

Entertainment & recreational industry to hold leading share in market

For leisure and recreational purposes, drones are becoming increasingly popular. Drones may take pictures of places and their surroundings, guaranteeing a clear view. They can also take pictures and videos at precise angles and in excellent detail. Filmmakers may now take pictures in several previously impractical ways with the help of drones. This helps in substantially leveraging the demand for drone imaging services worldwide.

Additionally, the sports industry is seeing a significant increase in drone use. Drones have enlivened sports and made it easier for coaches to communicate during a competition or training session. However, drones provide a relevant perspective that is different from what audiences see. Every moment that the audience misses is captured by drones.

Commercial customers to manifest huge demand for drone imaging services

Customer from commercial sectors accounts for a leading share of 77.0% in the global drone imaging services market.

Drone imaging services have substantial utility in various industry verticals ranging from oil & gas, construction, energy, traffic monitoring & management, and others.

Drone imaging service providers help capture images of production plants, employees & labors and monitor the infrastructure to avoid various accidents. These services substantially help in monitoring the infrastructure, as drone image service provider captures images of the building, detects cracks & remedies, and efficiently helps in building refurbishment. Drone imaging services are gaining demand in road accidents, firefighting, and others.

Through these services, investigators could able to recreate accidents scene in 3D imaging to offer insights into road accidents & major causes behind them. Also, firefighters could efficiently initiate rescue plans with the help of drone imaging services. Owing to all these utilities of drones in different industry verticals, the market is projected to rise substantially in the forthcoming period.

Competitive Landscape

Key market participants in the Drone Imaging Services service market are 3DroneMapping, ABJ Drones, Aerial Robotix, AerialWorks Inc., AERIUM Analytics, Aerodrome, Aeroview Services, Aeroworks Productions, Aivia Group, AUAV, Avian UAS, Dronegy, DJM Aerial Solutions, DDC Smart Inspection and Falconviz.

The drone imaging services market is highly fragmented with the presence of various large and small market players in the industry. With the substantial utility of drones in various industry verticals, these market players are taking strategic moves like service launch and expansion to enhance their footprint in the respective economy and capitalize on large customer base. For instance,

• In April 2021, Altavation has taken a strategic move towards offering on-demand nationwide drone imaging services for the real estate sector. Through this initiative, the company is available for all the real estate agents present in the United States with easy access through online websites.
• In July 2020, AeroVisionz has introduced aerial drone photography and videography service in Perth, Australia. The company has announced it primarily focuses on providing drone imaging services in real estate, construction, crop monitoring, sports, and others.

Fact.MR has provided detailed information about the provider of Drone Imaging Services market positioned across regions, revenue growth, and service offering expansion, in the recently published report.

Segmentation of the Drone Imaging Services Market

• By Customer Type :

  • Residential
  • Commercial

• By End-use Industry :

  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Transportation & Warehouse
  • Agriculture
  • Mining, Oil & Gas Extraction
  • Public Administration
  • Real Estate & Industrial Plant
  • Entertainment & Recreational
  • Safety & Security
  • Educational Services
  • Waste Management
  • Healthcare & Insurance

• By Region :

  • North America
  • Latin America
  • Europe
  • East Asia
  • South Asia & Oceania
  • Middle East & Africa