- DroneAcharya expects to start commercial production of small and micro-category drones.
- The company has collaborated with various institutions to set up drone-pilot training facilities.
Pune-based drone startup, DroneAcharya Aerial Innovations has partnered with industrial robotics company GridBots Technologies to commence commercial production, assembly and export of drones and associated products from June 2023 at its Pune unit.
Commenting on the partnership with GridBots, founder and managing director, Prateek Srivastava, said, “Today, we have unlocked the second growth phase by venturing into manufacturing. We expect to commence commercial production of small and micro-category drones during the quarter. We believe the company will embark on an orbital shift capitalising on Make In India policies and the process of drone manufacturing in the country, following our successful partnership with GridBots.”
Registered under Make in India initiative, GridBots Technologies works in the fields of nuclear, space and industrial robotics. Founded in 2007, specialises in machine vision – AI, pick and place robots, material transportation robots, side entry plastic injection moulding robots, industrial underwater cleaning robots, and positioning platforms – Stewart’s Platform.
Aerial expansion
As a part of its strategy to expand on a pan-India level, DroneAcharya would be setting up DGCA-certified drone pilot training organisations in partnership with individuals, organisations, or government agencies, to cater to the continuous demand for certified and skilled drone pilots across India. The first batch is expected to commence by the end of April or the start of May.
The company has entered an MoU with Savitribai Phule Pune University to provide drone training by establishing a Drone Centre of Excellence and jointly conducting research and development activities.
The company has completed more than 300 DGCA drone pilot training programmes and more than 600 drone training-related courses. Apart from training, it has executed projects for drone-based crop health analysis for carbon financing, a multi-sensor survey of an archaeological site at Vadnagar, solar panel inspection and hotspot analysis, and mapping and 3D modelling for urban planning.
