Tata Elxsi, a global leader in design and technology services, and Garuda Aerospace, a pioneering UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) manufacturer, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Aero India 2025, Asia's largest airshow, taking place from February 10th to 14th. This partnership establishes a dedicated centre for UAV design, engineering, and certification to develop indigenous drone technologies tailored for Indian defence, agriculture, and smart city applications, supporting the 'Make in India' initiative.
Tata Elxsi will spearhead the design, testing, and certification of UAV subsystems, utilising its expertise in avionics, secured communication, miniaturisation, and energy optimisation. By integrating proprietary autonomous and digital twin technologies, AI-driven solutions, and advanced propulsion systems, Tata Elxsi aims to achieve a 20 per cent reduction in energy consumption, over 20 per cent cost savings, and an accelerated UAV development cycle of up to six months.
Garuda Aerospace, as an OEM with a strong footprint in defence and other sectors, will lead business acquisition and delivery. UAVs developed under this initiative will serve multiple applications, including goods delivery, precision agriculture, payload management, and ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) missions.
This collaboration is poised to reduce India's reliance on imports by establishing a 100 per cent indigenous vendor ecosystem for UAV development and manufacturing, while creating new job opportunities and advancing workforce development in aerospace.