IdeaForge crosses one million UAV flights as defence, enterprise deployments soar

MUMBAI: The sky is no longer the limit for ideaForge. India’s homegrown drone maker has crossed one million successful UAV flights, marking a milestone that underlines the growing role of indigenous unmanned aircraft in defence, homeland security, disaster response and industrial operations.

ideaForge Technology Limited said its customers have completed more than one million missions using the company’s unmanned aerial vehicles across defence, public safety, mapping, surveying and enterprise applications. The flights span operations in India and overseas, helping strengthen surveillance, infrastructure monitoring and emergency response capabilities.

The company said the milestone reflects the reliability and operational maturity of its platforms, which are used by the Indian Armed Forces, government agencies, public sector organisations and private enterprises for mission-critical applications.

“One million flights is a proud milestone, but for us, it is much more than just a number. It is a record of trust built one mission at a time,” said ideaForge Technology Limited chief financial officer and whole-time director, Vipul Joshi.

He said every mission had contributed to improving the company’s technology by generating operational insights that enhanced reliability, resilience and performance in demanding environments. Joshi added that while the first million flights took years of product development and customer adoption, the next million are expected to come much faster as unmanned systems become increasingly integral to defence, homeland security, industrial inspection and critical infrastructure.

The company is also broadening its portfolio beyond intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions into combat drones, logistics platforms and more autonomous systems designed for modern operational requirements.

Founded as a student project at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, ideaForge traces its origins to the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, when its founders recognised India’s lack of indigenous aerial surveillance capabilities. That experience shaped the company’s focus on developing advanced UAVs for defence and strategic applications.

Today, ideaForge has filed 112 patents globally and says its platforms are certified by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Quality Assurance. The drones are also recognised by NATO and are designed to operate in India’s diverse terrain, from the high-altitude conditions of Ladakh to the deserts of Rajasthan and the country’s coastal regions.

Over the years, the company’s UAVs have been deployed for disaster relief during floods, crowd management during events such as the Pandharpur Yatra and Kanwar Yatra, wildlife monitoring, infrastructure inspections, land mapping under the SVAMITVA Scheme, smart governance initiatives and counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations, including Operation Sindoor.

With an indigenous drone taking off roughly every three minutes, the latest milestone comes as India continues to expand the use of locally developed unmanned systems across both civilian and strategic sectors, placing ideaForge at the centre of the country’s rapidly evolving drone ecosystem.