Google To Manufacture Drones In India; Picks Tamil Nadu For First Unit

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is set to commence drone manufacturing through its subsidiary Wing LLC in Tamil Nadu. 

The announcement comes as Google has reportedly partnered with Dixon Technologies, a domestic electronics manufacturer, to produce its flagship Pixel 8 smartphones in India.

As per a Moneycontrol report, the tech giant currently offers drone delivery services to businesses across the United States, Europe, and Australia, utilising a fleet of lightweight, autonomous delivery drones.

India’s drone market is expected to reach $13 Bn in size by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 21% between 2022 and 2030, as per Inc42 analysis. 

The surge in the drone market has spurred the emergence of numerous drone startups, attracting significant investor interest. 

Over the past two years, this momentum has led to notable successes, including ideaForge’s premium listing at a 94% increase. Besides ideaForge, drone maker DroneAcharya also saw a public listing in 2023. Further, logistics giant Delhivery is venturing into drone manufacturing while other logistics players are also exploring similar business models. 

This push towards drone manufacturing is fueled by the liberalisation of drone policies by the Indian government, which has sparked optimism and positive announcements within the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) ecosystem.

For example, the cabinet’s approval of the INR 120 Cr production-linked incentive scheme for drone manufacturing, a ban on the import of drones, and the drone certification scheme are seen as some of the measures that have spurred this sector in India. 

Amid these advancements, Chennai-based drone startup Dhaksha Unmanned Systems recently secured an $18 Mn investment from the listed agri-solutions provider Coromandel International. 

Similarly, agritech startup BharatRohan received $2.3 Mn to advance its proprietary edge computing drones tailored for precision farming, crop monitoring, and pesticide applications earlier this month.

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