Under the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme of the Government of India, drone maker ideaForge Technology has been granted a Letter of Intent to secure financial support of up to Rs 151 crore for the development of its YETI heavy-lift UAV platform.
The autonomous airborne platform is developed for logistical and defence operations in severe terrains, including high-altitude areas, deserts, and maritime environments. The development of this platform will be supported by the long-term debt funding, which is supplied at a nominal interest rate.
Flying up to 200 kilometres with a payload of up to 200 kg is no problem for the YETI, a hybrid fixed-wing VTOL aircraft. The platform may be launched at any time of day or night from modest, partially constructed launch sites, and its primary function is to deliver vital supplies, equipment, and ammunition to outlying frontline areas.
The business also mentioned that the platform might be used for commercial cargo delivery to hard-to-reach places, emergency response missions, offshore logistics, and infrastructure projects.
The Indian military faces a wide variety of environments, from the 4,000 to 6,000 meter high Himalayas to deserts, marshes, and coastal areas, all of which can wreak havoc on supply chains and logistics.
Formalised during the first-ever Enterprise Technology Evaluation agreement-signing event, the funds represent the initial distribution under the government’s Rs. 1 lakh crore RDI program. Strategic areas like advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, robotics, and space are the target of the initiative’s efforts to encourage private sector innovation.
ideaForge is one of the pioneering businesses to get funding from the program, which shows how seriously the government takes its mission to build domestic defence capabilities and foster the development of indigenous technology.
Ankit Mehta, CEO and co-founder of ideaForge, commented on the breakthrough, saying, “YETI represents a major step in India’s ability to design and operate autonomous systems in challenging environments.””The government’s support reflects confidence in the ability of Indian deep-tech companies to contribute to national capability-building,” Mehta said, adding that YETI is constructed to fly and deliver reliably and frequently in some of the hardest operational situations.
As part of its next-generation platforms, the YETI concept was initially introduced last year at Aero India with the goal of enhancing operating efficiency and safety. With this project, ideaForge is stepping outside of its surveillance drone roots and into the realm of autonomous logistical systems, which have potential military and commercial uses.
In keeping with India’s larger drive to develop defensive technologies independently, this development is in line with the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat mission.
