How has the drone ecosystem evolved in India?
The drone ecosystem started in 2011 in India. There was not much awareness initially. People just thought about drone videography and photography in weddings. The ecosystem got a boost during the covid times as drones were used for sanitisation and supply of medicines. Post that, the government announced a lot of schemes to boost the industry. In 2021, the drone rules were drafted and usage was legalised. Now drones are used in various sectors, including agriculture, industries and defence.
Your journey and future plans?
We cater to all segments. We have deployed over 4000 drones in the agriculture segment. In defence, we started last year and bagged an order for around 2000 drones from defence school of artillery. We have signed a contract with Airbus Helicopters for the acquisition of up to 18 Flexrotor Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS). In the last 10 years, we have built a strong customer base, have filed 27 patents and have 5 global patents. World cup-winning cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is our brand ambassador and an investor.
We have 35,000 square feet facility in Old Mahabalipuram Road and have leased 75,000 square feet facility in Oragadam near Chennai. In our current facility, we can produce 25 drones a day and in the upcoming facility at Oragadam, we can produce around 200 drones. There is not just room for improvement. There is a stadium for improvement. That drives us.
Now there are more than 150 training centres in India, and there are close to about 15,000 plus pilots. India requires close to about one lakh drone pilots. We are the first company in the country to get DGCA licence for manufacturing and for Remote Pilot Training Organization (RPTO).We want to become one of the most valuable drone companies in India and globally, in the next five years.
In agriculture and defence, where do you see the opportunity?
Agriculture is a three-billion-dollar business every year. About Rs 25,000 crore are being spent by farmers to get the field sprayed with pesticides and fertiliser with the backpack sprayer. That segment needs 10 lakh drones. The tractor industry took 30 years to reach an 85 per cent adoption rate. In 10 years, we will see full adoption of drones in agriculture. The technology has now grown so much that the drone is not the future of modern warfare. It is the present of modern warfare. We see huge potential in both segments. By 2030, India should become a global drone hub. There are export opportunities already to the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
What is your current localisation level?
Our current localisation level is 85 per cent. For raw materials like lithium, we are dependent on foreign players. One of the challenges is vendors are scattered across cities such as Pune, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. We need a cluster development similar to the automobile industry. Since this is a new industry, subject matter experts are limited.