Growing border tensions between India and Pakistan have underlined the strategic importance of drones, particularly those used for defence. A recent survey by the Kerala Startup Mission, initiated at the request of the Indian armed forces, revealed that Kerala is home to 50 drone manufacturing companies. Of these, 12 are focused exclusively on defence applications, signifying the state’s rising contribution to national security and modern warfare capabilities.
The Kerala government is actively supporting this growth by planning a dedicated industrial park for drone-related startups. This upcoming facility will encourage both public and private investments and is expected to include a drone studio to showcase products from various manufacturers. The park will offer comprehensive infrastructure and testing amenities to help scale innovations efficiently.
Startups in Kerala are already creating drones for various purposes—ranging from agricultural solutions like pest detection and pesticide spraying, to forest surveillance, road mapping, and even maritime security. Companies like Fuselage Innovations began with agricultural drones such as Fia and Niriksh and have since developed military-grade drones capable of detecting underwater threats like mines and submarines. Other firms such as Irov and Versail focus on underwater drone technology and deep-sea communications.
Several startups—Verdatum, Volador, Daytonex, AI Drone, Atwic, AI Ariel, and Astra-X—are specializing exclusively in defence-related drones. These firms are expected to benefit from upcoming central government projects as demand for indigenously developed defence technology grows.
Kerala’s first drone park will be established in Kottarakkara. Finance Minister K N Balagopal announced that land preparation is underway for this project, a collaborative effort between the Education Department and the Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence (KASE), with technical assistance from IIT Palakkad. The park aims to foster a strong innovation ecosystem for drone technology in the state.
