Drone maker Garuda Aerospace showcased its indigenous manufacturing, localisation and technology capabilities to Major General Gopal Kapoor, Additional Director General (ADG), Army Design Bureau (ADB), during his visit to the company's defence drone manufacturing facility in Chennai on Friday.
The company, in a statement, said the visit focused on reviewing Garuda Aerospace's indigenous and localisation capabilities and understanding its ongoing and upcoming projects aimed at supporting India's evolving defence and drone ecosystem.
During the interaction, Garuda Aerospace presented an overview of its defence programmes, manufacturing capabilities, research and development initiatives and industry partnerships.
The company also highlighted its expanding drone pilot training ecosystem, including 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 other projects in the pipeline.
Garuda Aerospace showcased its 50,000 sq ft drone manufacturing facility, which covers design, prototyping, manufacturing, testing and deployment. The facility houses injection moulding, industrial-grade 3D printing, battery assembly and testing infrastructure. According to the company, these capabilities are supported by more than 50 PhD researchers specialising in areas including PCB manufacturing, RF antennae, communication systems and Ground Control Stations.
The Army Design Bureau team also reviewed the company's vulnerability checklist and testing processes carried out in coordination with authorised agencies to assess adherence to applicable defence standards.
The ADG praised the IPO-bound company's efforts to strengthen India's domestic drone manufacturing capabilities and appreciated its investments in manufacturing infrastructure, technology development and R&D.
He also highlighted indigenisation as an important pillar of India's defence preparedness and the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision. The interaction reinforced the approach of "Design in India, Develop in India and Manufacture in India."
Garuda Aerospace founder and CEO Agnishwar Jayaprakash said India's journey towards defence self-reliance required strong collaboration between industry, government, academia and the armed forces.
"Major General Gopal Kapoor’s visit at our facility is an important milestone for us given we were presented with an opportunity to showcase how we are building a more self-reliant and resilient defence ecosystem," he said.
Jayaprakash added that the company remained committed to the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision and India's ambition of becoming a global hub for indigenous drone technology and manufacturing.
