Top Drone Companies in India

Drones are no longer just experimental devices confined to science laboratories and are increasingly being used in a variety of industries, from agriculture to construction, and many more. In India, the drone market is growing rapidly, and it received further impetus from the Indian government’s ‘Drone Rules 2021’. The new rules are aimed at promoting the development of a domestic unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market and reducing reliance on imports. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide to the top drone companies in India, their services, and their unique offerings.

#1 IdeaForge – Biggest Among Top Drone Stocks in India

Backed by Infosys and Qualcomm, IdeaForge is a drone technology company that provides a range of drone solutions, including surveillance, mapping, and inspection. According to market research firms, it is the undisputed leader in the Indian unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) market with a share of approximately 50% in FY 2022.

IdeaForge’s drones can be used for a variety of applications, including border security and disaster management. In addition, the company also offers software solutions, including a drone data management system that can help clients manage their data more effectively.

It is worth noting that the company has filed IPO papers and is seeking SEBI approval to launch its maiden public offer. On listing, it will be among the leading drone stocks in India.

#2 DJI India

DJI India is a subsidiary of DJI, the world’s leading drone manufacturer. DJI India provides a range of products and services, including consumer drones, professional drones, and accessories. It also provides drone repair and maintenance services and is included among the top drone companies in India.

DJI’s drones are known for their high-quality cameras, ease of use, and reliability. They are suitable for a variety of industries, from filmmaking to agriculture. DJI also offers a range of software solutions, including the DJI FlightHub, which allows companies to manage their drone fleets more effectively.

DJI India’s prices range from INR 15,999 for the DJI Tello Drone Boost Combo to INR 690,000 for the DJI Phantom 4 RTK Drone with Base Station for Mapping.

#3 Asteria Aerospace – Beneficiary in Drone PLI Scheme

Established in 2011 by aerospace engineers Nihar Vartak and Neel Mehta, Asteria Aerospace is a robotics and artificial intelligence company that develops drone-based solutions to provide actionable intelligence from aerial data. It is one of the 12 drone manufacturers shortlisted in the Indian government’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. 

Reliance Industries subsidiary Jio Platforms acquired a majority stake in the drone player in 2019. Understandably, the industrial behemoth uses Asteria’s products for surveillance of its telecom towers. Nevertheless, Asteria has bigger plans of offering Drone-as-a-service to other companies outside the Reliance group.

In FY2022, the company was reported to have posted a revenue of INR 21 crore.

#4 Aarav Unmanned Systems

Aarav Unmanned Systems (AUS) is a technology startup that specializes in offering commercial applications of drones to enterprises. Its range of drone solutions includes surveying, mapping, industrial inspection, mining, roads, and railways. AUS claims to have mapped over 55 Lac acres of area for different projects across India including 200+ mines, 35+ cities, and 25,000+ villages. It also offers software solutions, including a drone data management system that can help clients manage their data more effectively.

Incubated at IIT Kanpur, it counts StartupXseed Ventures, Anurag Ramdasan, Shalini Prakash, 3ONE4 Capital, The Phoenix Fund, and GrowX Ventures among its investors.

#5 Garuda Aerospace – Kisan Drone Services

Chennai-based Garuda Aerospace provides low-cost drone-based solutions as well as related software and analytical tools to various industries, including agriculture, infrastructure, and disaster management. Garuda Aerospace has been recognized for its innovative solutions and has won several awards, including an NDRF Award for its products and services.

The company’s claim to fame is its Anti-drone system which has been developed in partnership with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Its anti-drone system employs a variety of ways to combat foreign enemy drones, including neutralization and detecting systems.

Garuda Aerospace has raised a total of USD 5 million in seed funding so far and is also a beneficiary of the drone PLI scheme. The company has also tied up with Swiggy for conducting grocery delivery trial runs in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru.

#6 Skylark Drones

This Bangalore-based drone player doesn’t make drones but specializes in drone analytics and work-site intelligence that enable accurate business decision-making. It has customers spanning industries like mining, infrastructure, renewable energy & agriculture.

It offers a range of services, including surveying, mapping, and inspection to its 100+ enterprise customers that include Tata Steel, Hindustan Zinc, Hindalco, and Alstom. So far, the company has completed over 100,000 autonomous flights and captured over 10 million images.

In July 2021, Skylark raised USD 3 million in a pre-series A funding round which was led by InfoEdge Ventures and IAN Fund.

#7 Dhaksha Unmanned Systems (DUMS) – Hybrid Agriculture Drones

Incorporated in 2019, Dhaksha Unmanned Systems offers drone-based solutions across a range of industries including agriculture, mining, defense and surveillance. As part of its versatile product range, it offers both battery-operated and petrol-engine-based agriculture drones.

The startup recently raised an undisclosed amount from Coromandel International’s VC arm Dare Ventures. Since Coromandel is already present in agri solutions, Dhaksha Unmanned Systems’ expertise is likely to be used in launching the ‘Drone as a Service’ model in the agritech space. It is also included in the list of drone PLI scheme beneficiaries.

#8 Quidich Innovation Labs

Mumbai-based Quidich Innovation Labs is a pure-play services provider that specializes in aerial cinematography and photography using drones. Established by Rahat Kulshreshtha, the company has worked on a number of high-profile projects, including Bollywood films and major sporting events like the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pro Kabaddi League. It has worked on over 350 film projects, the most prominent being Gully Boy and Sanju.

#9 Aero360 – Dronix Technologies

Incorporated in 2017, Aero360 is another leading drone company in India that specializes in building high-performance autonomous drones for surveillance, monitoring, and industrial survey. Apart from drones, the company also offers industrial inspections, security, and surveillance services. It has undertaken over 50 projects across India in the last 4 years.

Dronix Technologies is a bootstrapped company and has received grants under the MSME scheme. Its products are priced in the range of INR 300,000 to INR 30,00,000.

#10 Avian Aerospace

Established in 2017 by Dineshkumar Chandrasekaran, Avian Aerospace makes agriculture drones and industrial drones. It also provides services in Aerial Mapping, Drone Survey, and Inspection. It claims to have completed over 85 projects so far and has 15 employees.

One of the unique aspects of Avian Aerospace is its focus on using drones for environmental monitoring and conservation efforts. The company has worked on projects to monitor wildlife populations and habitat destruction.

This list of the top drone companies in India will be updated regularly as more developments unfold in this fast-growing industry. Although the list of drone stocks in India is quite long, there aren’t many pureplay listed drone companies for investors, barring a few exceptions like recently-listed DroneAcharya Aerial Innovations.

However, this scenario is likely to change and investors will have a higher number of drone stocks in India as regulatory encouragement leads to a better support system. As of now, the Indian government has released a provisional list of 23 beneficiaries under the drone PLI scheme. The beneficiaries include 12 drone manufacturers and 11 drone component manufacturers.

Top Drone Companies in India FAQs