ideaForge Technology Limited, India’s leading
manufacturer of unmanned aerial systems, has received a Letter of Intent for up
to Rs 1.51 billion in long-term debt financing at a nominal rate of interest
under the Government of India’s Research, Development and Innovation (RDI)
Scheme.
The capital will be channelled into the development of
YETI, a heavy-lift autonomous aerial platform engineered to operate across some
of the world’s highest terrains and most extreme environments.
The Indian armed forces defend an extensive border
spanning diverse terrains, including the Himalayas in the north, where
operations are conducted at altitudes ranging from 4,000 m to 6,000 m, deserts
in the west, marshes and forests in the east, and a long coastline. Logistics
operations are severely hindered by challenging terrain and weather conditions,
resulting in critical delays.
Several industrial and civilian operations are also
affected by terrain and weather, including trade and commerce in remote
regions, critical infrastructure construction and offshore platform logistics.
YETI aims to bridge this critical gap while supporting
the broader national goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat. It is an
autonomous fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing hybrid aircraft engineered
to perform reliably in extreme environments, including high-altitude regions,
deserts and marine conditions.
Capable of carrying loads of up to 200 kg and covering
ranges of up to 200 km, YETI can take off from small, semi-prepared launch
pads. It is designed for easy setup and operation and can function during the
day and at night.
The platform is intended to enable autonomous aerial
delivery of ammunition, equipment and critical supplies to frontline locations.
It can also support infrastructure construction, industrial logistics, express
aerial delivery, offshore logistics and emergency response missions in
difficult-to-access regions.
The funding was formalised during the inaugural
Enterprise Technology Evaluation agreement signing ceremony and represents the
first disbursement event under the Government’s Rs 1 trillion RDI Scheme.
The scheme aims to catalyse private sector-led deeptech
innovation across strategic sectors, including artificial intelligence,
robotics, space and advanced manufacturing. ideaForge is among the first companies
to secure funding under the framework, reflecting the Government’s confidence
in the company’s ability to deliver sovereign capability at scale.
Ankit Mehta, CEO and Co-founder, ideaForge Technology
Limited, said, “YETI represents a generational leap in what India can design,
build, and operate autonomously. Our armed forces and our logistics networks
face the daily reality of reaching where roads end, and weather doesn’t
cooperate. YETI is our answer to that challenge, which is engineered not just
to fly, but to deliver, reliably and repeatably, in the conditions that define
the toughest operational environments. The government’s confidence in ideaForge
through the RDI framework is a reaffirmation that Indian deeptech players are
now ready to carry the weight of national capability-building.”
ideaForge first unveiled the YETI concept at Aero India
last year as part of its next-generation, mission-first platforms aimed at
future-proofing the armed forces and improving operational efficiency and
safety.
The platform marks the company’s expansion beyond
surveillance-focused unmanned aerial vehicles into autonomous, high-capacity
aerial logistics systems. YETI also reflects the broader shift towards
specialised, AI-enabled logistics drones capable of supporting military and
commercial operations.
Developing the platform indigenously for sovereign applications aligns
closely with India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision and the country’s growing focus
on self-reliant defence technologies.