Skydio, the leading U.S. drone manufacturer, and Aeroarc, India’s premier drone manufacturer, today announced a groundbreaking partnership that expands AI collaboration between the U.S and India by bringing advanced autonomous flight technology to the subcontinent. Through this partnership, Skydio will support Aeroarc in the development, manufacture, deployment, and support of small uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS) for Indian customers. This announcement coincides with Skydio and Aeroarc’s invitation to speak at and participate in the February meeting of the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X), a strategic technology partnership between the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) to spur defense industrial cooperation between government, business, and academia.
Skydio has a strong record of investment in India’s technology ecosystem, including the establishment last year of an R&D center in Bengaluru. Through its relationship with Aeroarc, Skydio will grow its manufacturing presence in the region, co-develop domain-specific UAS applications, and promote market expansion. The Skydio-Aeroarc collaboration will serve the needs of the Indian Ministry of Defense as well as other global defense customers in the Indo-Pacific region, supporting the establishment of India as a global hub for advanced defense technology.
“As the largest manufacturer of small uncrewed aircraft systems outside of China, we’re excited to continue our investment in India and partner with Aeroarc on critical, dual-use products and capabilities that help allied nations in the Indo-Pacific region deter conflict and protect troops,” said Adam Bry, CEO and co-founder of Skydio. “We support the objectives of the INDUS-X partnership and believe autonomous drone technology is central to the future of India’s defense innovation strategy.”
“Our partnership symbolizes the strengthening defense & technological ties between India and the United States. Aligned with our Prime Ministers’ ‘Make in India for the World’ initiative, Skydio & Aeroarc will locally manufacture state-of-the-art drones, catering to both domestic and international markets,” said Arjun Aggarwal, Managing Director of Aeroarc Pvt Ltd. “This will amplify India’s role in the global defense supply chain and enhance the resilience of both nations against supply disruptions, as recently seen due to situations in Ukraine and the Middle East.”
Skydio’s partnership with Aeroarc aligns with broader U.S.-India strategic goals announced by President Biden and Prime Minister Modi in the January 2023 initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET). iCET aims to deepen cooperation on critical and emerging technologies, strengthen mutual defense ties, and accelerate the U.S. and India’s innovation ecosystem.
Skydio provides drone solutions to over 1,900 corporations and government agencies including every branch of the US military and numerous allied countries. Skydio remains the solution provider of record for the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance program, which it won in November 2021, as well as the U.S. Marine Corps’ Short Range Short Endurance program which it won in 2021.
Skydio recently debuted its newest drones, the Skydio X10 for commercial enterprises and the Skydio X10D for defense and other government applications. The Skydio X10 platform combines cutting-edge sensors, autonomy, and airframe design to serve a range of industries including defense, public safety, and energy utilities. The Skydio X10D is an offline variant that provides superior performance in tactical environments and is the first sUAS capable of 24/7 operations with its revolutionary NightSense technology, enabling autonomous obstacle-avoidance in zero-light environments. It is also the first small UAS to integrate a FLIR Boson+ sensor, achieving the category’s highest thermal imaging quality and more accurate radiometric readings to improve operational outcomes at any time day or night.
