Inside India’s Drone Powerhouse: How Garuda Aerospace Took Flight
When you think of India’s biggest startup success stories, names like Flipkart, BYJU’S, and Ola come to mind. But Garuda Aerospace, a homegrown drone-tech company based in Chennai, is rapidly joining that elite club. In less than a decade, it’s gone from a student project to a multimillion-dollar aerospace company building over 50 types of drones for agriculture, defense, infrastructure, and disaster management.
And the man behind it all? A first-generation entrepreneur with sky-high ambition and a playbook rooted in grit, innovation, and national service.
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The Spark: How Garuda Aerospace Took Flight
In 2015, Agnishwar Jayaprakash, a serial innovator and former youth Olympian, founded Garuda Aerospace with a bold goal: to make India the global leader in drone technology.
In interviews, Agnishwar has shared how he bootstrapped early drone prototypes while working from a college hostel and how the startup’s name was inspired by the mythical bird Garuda—a symbol of speed and vigilance.
Founder Quote:
“We weren’t just building drones. We were building India’s capability to solve real-world problems from the sky.”
— Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder & CEO, Garuda Aerospace
Building a Product That Flies — Literally
The early versions of Garuda’s drones were designed for precision agriculture, targeting a pain point deeply felt by Indian farmers: low crop yields due to inefficient irrigation and pest control.
Using drone-based aerial mapping and spraying, Garuda allowed farmers to cut pesticide use by 80% and save 90% on water usage. That alone put the company on the government’s radar.
But Agnishwar had broader plans.
Timeline: Key Milestones in Garuda Aerospace’s Journey
- 2015: Company founded in Chennai with a vision to design, build, and deploy indigenous drones.
- 2017: Wins national innovation awards for agri-drone solutions.
- 2019: Works with NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) to deploy drones during Kerala floods.
- 2020: Partners with Indian authorities for COVID-19 sanitization via drones.
- 2021: MS Dhoni becomes brand ambassador and strategic investor.
- 2022: Launches 100 Kisan Drone Yatras with PM Narendra Modi’s support.
- 2023: Raises Series B (~₹100 Cr) led by Venture Catalysts; valuation crosses $250M.
- 2024: Expands exports to UAE, Malaysia, and Africa.
- 2025: Raises $1M in a bridge round from Narotam Sekhsaria Family Office to scale from 8K to 15K drones/year.
Also Read: Kerala’s People-First Startup Revolution: A Blueprint for Inclusive, Sustainable Innovation
Garuda Aerospace Today: India’s Drone Flagbearer
Today, Garuda Aerospace manufactures 50+ drone models serving:
- Agriculture: For seeding, spraying, and yield analysis
- Defense: For surveillance, logistics, and search & rescue
- Smart Cities: For infrastructure inspection and traffic monitoring
- Industrial Use: In mining, energy, and construction
It has clients in 10+ government departments and dozens of private corporations. It’s also working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and DGCA to shape drone regulation policy.
Founder Vision: Why Agnishwar Sees Drones as More Than Machines
Agnishwar sees Garuda not just as a drone company, but as an empowerment platform.
“We’re empowering rural India to become drone pilots, farmers to become agri-tech experts, and India to become self-reliant in aerial innovation.”
— Agnishwar Jayaprakash
In 2022, the company trained 10,000+ youth through its Drone Skilling Program, many from Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns.
Competitive Edge: What Makes Garuda Aerospace Different
- Indigenous R&D: Designs, builds, and tests drones in-house
- Make in India Compliant: Aligned with Aatmanirbhar Bharat
- Profitability Focus: One of the few drone startups with 4 years of profit
- MS Dhoni Advantage: Massive brand equity and investor confidence
- Policy Proximity: Strong relationships with regulators and government pilots
What’s Next for Garuda Aerospace?
Garuda plans to:
- Expand to 50+ export markets by FY26
- Launch AI-enhanced drone software for fleet management
- Build India’s largest drone-as-a-service (DaaS) platform
- IPO-ready roadmap within 2–3 years
Final Thoughts: India’s Drone Skies Belong to Garuda
Garuda Aerospace has gone from a dorm-room dream to a national brand with sky-high ambitions. It’s proving that world-class deep tech can be built in India, for the world.
And if Agnishwar’s relentless pace is any indicator, Garuda might just become the SpaceX of drones — with Indian wings and global altitude.
Related Reads: Garuda Aerospace Raises $1M to Scale Production
