DJI will bring “huge surprises to global consumers soon”, says spokesperson

In an article in the South China Morning Post, DJI denies reports of mass layoffs and instead says that the drone maker is busy meeting demand amid the Coronavirus pandemic. A company spokesperson even said that DJI will bring “huge surprises to global consumers soon.” We have a feeling that we already know what he's hinting at.

In the article, DJI denies planning to layoff 50% of its employees as the company is very busy, it says, with a number of new projects as Countries around the world are dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak.

DJI will bring “huge surprises to global consumers soon”

DJI spokesman Xie Tiandi said in a statement on China's Twitter-like social media platform Weibo on Thursday that:

“DJI is busy with new projects and will bring huge surprises to global consumers soon. We don't have time to deal with absurd and false speculation.”

The spokesperson did not disclose what ‘huge surprises' global consumers can expect, but we have a feeling he might be talking about the new and yet-to-be-released DJI Mavic Air 2.

As far as the rumors go about DJI employees being fired, this may not be as dramatic as some News reports may lead you to believe. However, there is some truth to it. For instance, we know that DJI is reorganizing parts of its organization here in the U.S. and we will share the specifics of those changes with you as soon as we have confirmation.

We also know that a DJI spokesperson in the U.S. said earlier this week in an email to DroneXL that:

“DJI has made some organizational changes in order to adapt to today's challenging economic environment. As a private company, we do not share more detailed information.” 

Drones help the fight against coronavirus

Of course, DJI, like any other company has been negatively affected by the fast-spreading coronavirus. At the same time, however, many governments around the world are discovering the benefits drones offer to help stop the virus. It is not hard to imagine that DJI will be quite busy catering to these customers with its Disaster Relief Program and that it may have given a boost to the demand for DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drones.

As we have reported before, the DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drones are used to monitor and communicate with people on the ground while keeping Police officers at a safe distance. And, they have even been used to measure people's body temperatures to spot persons who might be infected with the coronavirus. Other drones such as the DJI Agras T16 have been modified to spray disinfectants in public areas. Lastly, drones are also considered to deliver vaccines, medication and other medical supplies to people in need. To this end, Zipline is currently talking with the FAA to see if they can fast track and start offering their services here in the U.S.

Going back to DJI, the company has made a strong push with its Disaster Relief Program to get more drones in the hands of local law enforcement and First Responders so that they too can experience the benefits that these drones offer. The South China Morning Post reports that DJI, in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak, even posted a recruitment ad on its website last month, looking for researchers, designers, product managers as well as data analysts.

DJI's Xie said fighting the pandemic remains a priority and DJI is providing drone technical support for countries and regions across five continents.

DroneXL's take

So, it seems that even though DJI is facing political headwinds here in the U.S. and is also affected by the ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China, the drone maker remains focussed on growing their business globally with new campaigns, new products and the hiring of more people.

We are excited to see what ‘huge surprises' DJI will bring to consumers around the world and expect that we might see something new in May or June.