NEW DELHI: A private Indian company, IG Drones, has bagged a "significant contract" from the Indian Army which will require the supply of VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) and FPV (First-Person View) drones. As per the company these drones are indigenously manufactured, with no Chinese components.
As per an IG Drones company official the deal was finalised in the second week of January and the complete delivery of both types of drones to the Indian Army has to be done in a month. He did not give both the drones' quantities and project costs.
"The decision to prioritise domestically developed drone technology comes at a time when the Indian Army faces mounting security threats along international borders. Recent incidents, such as the hijacking of an Indian Army drone near the Pakistan border, have underscored the urgent need for reliable, indigenously manufactured platforms free from Chinese-origin components, which could compromise national security," IG Drones said in a statement on Tuesday.
The company officials confirmed that the components like cameras fitted in their drones have been imported from abroad but they have ensured them not to be of Chinese origin, the official added.
Due to security reasons, induction of the drones with Chinese components is not allowed. The Indian Army puts the components through a close scrutiny to confirm the equipment does not have the Chinese components before they are inducted for use.
"As of August 2024, India had 398 drone startups, doubling in three years, surpassing China's 298. However, a recent Indian Army drone hijacking near the Pakistan border has raised security concerns, highlighting the need for certified, reliable companies to provide secure solutions".
As per the IG Drones' "VTOL systems are tailored for operations in extreme environments, offering unparalleled flexibility by enabling vertical take-off and landing in areas where runways are unavailable, such as mountainous regions and urban conflict zones."
As per the officials, with a 6 Kg MTOW (Maximum Take Off Weight) it can remain in air for about an hour"
The FPV drones, on the other hand, bring a real-time, first-person perspective to tactical reconnaissance, enabling precise intelligence gathering while keeping personnel out of harm's way. These drones are particularly suited for urban warfare, search-and-rescue missions, and counter-infiltration efforts, the company added.
Bodhisattwa Sanghapriya, Founder and CEO of IG Drones, said, "This contract reflects the Indian Army's trust in our ability to deliver secure, world-class drone systems. With this, we have global aspirations to take the drone ecosystem and 5-G-enabled drone solutions to another level". IG Drones describes itself as "a leading drone technology company specializing in advanced defense and industrial solutions."