Union Minister Kamlesh Paswan inaugurated Garuda Aerospace’s 35,000 sq ft agri-drone indigenization facility in Chennai. The plant is set to locally manufacture key drone components, support skill development through a DGCA-approved training program, and empower rural communities under the "Drone Didi" initiative.

Key Highlights:

• The 35,000 sq ft facility is India’s first dedicated hub for agri-drone indigenization, manufacturing 7 subsystems and 33 components to reduce import dependence.
• Union Minister Kamlesh Paswan inaugurated the plant in collaboration with the Bharat Drone Association, underscoring public–private partnership in innovation.
• A DGCA-approved "Train-the-Trainer" program was launched to expand certified drone instructors across India.
• 300 Centres of Excellence were announced to offer drone training, servicing, and academic-industry collaboration.
• The “Drone Didi” initiative has already trained 15,000 rural women to operate drones, aiming to empower 1 lakh women by 2026.
• Garuda Aerospace has delivered 4,000 drones toward PM Modi’s goal of 1 lakh made-in-India drones by 2026.
• With the new facility, drone production capacity is projected to rise to 12,000–15,000 units annually, creating more than 140 jobs.