Fortifying India’s armed forces capabilities, startup DroneAcharya has teamed up with Krattworks to supercharge local defence drone production.
Pune-based defence tech startup DroneAcharya has secured a contract with Estonia-based Krattworks to facilitate the local production and distribution of its defence drone products in India. Aligning with the ‘Make in India’ goal, this partnership will enhance DroneAcharya’s offerings for the Indian defence sector.
Krattworks specialises in advanced drone solutions, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) drones with jamming-resistant capabilities and both day and night vision. The company also produces fixed-wing aerial target drones capable of carrying heavy payloads and equipped with radar reflectors, making them suitable for critical defence operations such as ISR missions, border patrol, and continuous surveillance.
The integration of Krattworks’ drones into its fleet will bolster DroneAcharya’s capabilities and enhance its offerings to the Indian armed forces, particularly with Krattworks’ anti-jamming technology, which is essential in high-threat and electronically contested environments.
However, no financial information on this deal was disclosed.
DroneAcharya is already manufacturing first-person-view drones for the Indian Army, which are used for surveillance, drone pilot training, and specialised defence mission training. Earlier this year, the startup secured a contract to provide advanced drone training at the Mechanised Army Courses Group in Ahmednagar.
Following this announcement, DroneAcharya’s shares rose by 7% to INR 144.9 on the BSE, although the stock has seen a year-to-date decline of nearly 24%.
Founded in 2017 by Prateek Srivastava, DroneAcharya aims to increase revenue, EBITDA, and profit after tax by 200% for the fiscal year ending March 2025. The company also plans to quadruple its DGCA-certified drone pilot training centres.
In the financial year ending March 2024, DroneAcharya’s operating revenue surged nearly 90% to Rs 351.9 million, with a consolidated profit after tax of Rs 62 million, almost double the previous year.
