The visit focused on the company’s indigenous and localisation capabilities, along with its ongoing and upcoming projects supporting India’s defence and drone ecosystem.
Garuda Aerospace presented its defence programmes, manufacturing capabilities, research and development initiatives and industry partnerships during the visit. The company also highlighted its growing drone pilot training ecosystem through its Remote Pilot Training Organisations (RPTOs).
It discussed initiatives proposed to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to train 80,000 Agniveers across the Tri-Services, along with projects currently in the pipeline.
Inside Garuda’s drone manufacturing facility
The company showcased its 50,000 sq ft manufacturing facility, which covers design, prototyping, manufacturing, testing and deployment.The facility includes injection moulding, industrial-grade 3D printing, battery assembly and testing infrastructure. Garuda said the manufacturing setup is supported by more than 50 PhD researchers working across areas including PCB manufacturing, RF antennae, communication systems and Ground Control Stations.
The Army Design Bureau team also reviewed Garuda’s vulnerability checklist and testing processes in coordination with authorised agencies to assess adherence to applicable defence standards.
The visit also highlighted the company’s focus on localisation, which is becoming an important part of India’s defence manufacturing push.
Garuda links drones to defence self-reliance
Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO of Garuda Aerospace, said collaboration between industry, government, academia and the armed forces would be important to building a more self-reliant defence ecosystem.“India’s journey towards defence self-reliance requires strong collaboration between industry, government, academia and the armed forces,” Jayaprakash said.
He added that the company remains committed to the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision and India’s ambition of becoming a global hub for indigenous drone technology and manufacturing.
The ADG, ADB, meanwhile, commended Garuda Aerospace for its efforts to strengthen domestic drone manufacturing capabilities and acknowledged its investments in manufacturing infrastructure, technology development and R&D.
The interaction also reinforced the focus on “Design in India, Develop in India and Manufacture in India”, with indigenisation highlighted as an important pillar of India’s defence preparedness.
Garuda Aerospace describes itself as a drone technology startup focused on precision agriculture and Industry 4.0. Its operations include designing, building and customising unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The company’s engagement with the Army Design Bureau comes as drone technology increasingly finds applications across both civilian and defence sectors.
For Garuda, the Chennai facility is positioned as a base for developing and manufacturing indigenous drone capabilities while expanding its role in India’s growing defence technology ecosystem.