India’s drone industry is soaring to new heights in 2025, and drone startups in India are leading the transformation across agriculture, defense, logistics, and aerial imaging. From Mumbai to Bengaluru and Chennai to Delhi, innovative firms are redefining how UAV technology is built and deployed. These are the top 10 drone startups in India revolutionizing aerial tech in 2025, each with strong founding histories, AI or mapping tech, government recognition, and investor backing.
1. ideaForge (Mumbai, Maharashtra)
Founded in 2007 by IIT Bombay alumni, ideaForge pioneered India’s UAV industry with the NETRA surveillance drone and Q-series mapped for industrial inspection. Used extensively by the Indian Armed Forces, ideaForge combines rugged hardware with AI-powered analytics.
2. Asteria Aerospace (Bengaluru, Karnataka)
Started in 2011 by Neel Mehta and Nihar Vartak, Asteria offers Drone‑as‑a‑Service (DaaS) solutions like the SkyDeck platform for industrial surveys, telecom, and GIS. In 2019, Reliance’s Jio Platforms acquired a majority stake and continues scaling Asteria’s AI‑driven fleet.
3. Aarav Unmanned Systems (Bengaluru, Karnataka)
Founded in 2013, Aarav specializes in fixed‑wing drones for agriculture, mining, and land surveying. Their Insight and Nayan drones use multispectral imaging and AI analytics to optimize crop yield and resource usage.
4. Garuda Aerospace (Chennai, Tamil Nadu)
Started in 2016 by Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Garuda provides affordable drones for pesticide spraying, aerial mapping, and disaster response. With brand ambassador MS Dhoni and partnerships across Swiggy and DRDO, Garuda is a key player in India’s “Make in India” drone push.
5. Indshine (New Delhi)
Since 2015, Indshine has delivered AI-powered mapping and forestry analytics via drone data. Their platform blends machine learning with aerial imagery to support urban planning, agriculture, and environment decision‑making.
6. IG Drones (Delhi NCR)
Founded in 2018, IG Drones launched India’s first 5G-enabled drone, Skyhawk, enabling high-speed surveillance and simulation. They have contracts from India’s Defence Ministry and collaborations with institutions like IIM Sambalpur.
7. Indrones (Mumbai, Maharashtra)
Founded in 2015 by Pravin Prajapati, Indrones designs drones like Sigma and VTOL variants for surveying, disaster management, and logistics. It also offers Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS) with AI-equipped payloads.
8. IoTechWorld (Delhi NCR)
Since 2017, IoTechWorld has built drones for agriculture, inspection, and logistics. Products include Agribot for spraying, Surveybot equipped with LiDAR and sensors, and Heavybot for payload delivery across industries.
9. Marut Drones (Hyderabad, Telangana)
Founded in 2019 by IIT alumni, Marut Robotics serves agriculture with drones like Agricopter, Seedcopter and Hepicopter, seeding millions and spraying thousands of acres. Their innovations include BVLOS operations and mosquito-tracking drones.
10. Raphe mPhibr (Bengaluru, Karnataka)
Established in 2016, Raphe mPhibr builds mission-critical swarm-capable drones like mR10 for defense surveillance. It has raised $145 million, employs over 600 people, and is expanding aircraft manufacturing under India’s aerospace push. Raphe drones played operational roles in recent military exercises.
Why These Drone Startups in India Are Thriving
Under supportive policies like the PLI drone scheme and drone import bans, India is targeting an $11B drone market by 2030. States like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Delhi have emerged as major drone innovation hubs with infrastructure like UAV testing centres and defence corridors. Startups are also partnering with DRDO, HAL, and prominent universities. Tamil Nadu is increasingly recognized as a key contributor to defence drone manufacturing. timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Future Outlook and Careers in Drone Tech
These top 10 drone startups in India are scaling fast, with roles in demand across hardware design, AI analytics, flight operations, and regulatory compliance. They are building systems for real-time monitoring, agriculture automation, defence surveillance, and logistics solutions. As India pushes drone exports and deepens its domestic capabilities, these startups are expected to generate multimillion-dollar revenues and significant global presence by 2028.
India’s drone revolution is just getting started. With government support, investor interest, and cutting-edge innovations, these startups are paving the way for aerial intelligence.
Want to explore how other regions are scaling innovation too?
Check out the top startup ecosystems in India for deeper insights.
Also, discover Asia’s leading startups pushing tech boundaries in our recent coverage.
