Optiemus to invest Rs 250 mn in drone manufacturing for India, global markets

New Delhi, Oct 27 (IANS) Homegrown Optiemus Infracom Limited on Friday announced that it will be investing Rs 250 million in 'Optiemus Unmanned Systems' (OUS), a new division of the company, to manufacture drones for India and global markets.

The company also launched a diverse range of drones at the India Mobile Congress 2023.

The products carried cutting-edge technology, including advanced sensors, secure communication systems, and stringent safety protocols.

"As data security is a major concern, we are focussed on localisation, and sourcing parts from trusted partners and trusted locations as per government guidelines. We have already localised Autopilot, Motor Controller, GNSS receiver and Power Management System," Ashoek K Gupta, Chairman, Optiemus Infracom Limited, said in a statement.

OUS will build on its experience and expertise in designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art drones, that would cater to a wide range of applications, including Defence, Healthcare, Agriculture, Logistics, Mining, Railways, and Oil & Gas. 

Application areas for drones will also encompass Asset Management, Disaster Management, Delivery, Mapping and Survey, and Precision Agriculture, according to the company.

As per leading Industry Chamber FICCI estimates, the drone manufacturing potential in India could be worth $4.2 billion by 2025, growing to $23 billion by 2030, making India a drone manufacturing power.

The company’s latest initiative also stands in line with the government’s "Make in India" initiative.

With a goal to achieve up to 65 per cent indigenisation within a year of launch, the company said that OUS aims to make its products export-ready, expand offerings in smarter payloads, and enhance product autonomy with a broader range of unmanned vehicles for various terrains.

Meanwhile, Optiemus and US-based Corning International Corporation have announced that they will manufacture 30 million pieces of high-quality finished cover glass parts for the mobile consumer electronics industry in the first phase and will employ more than 500 people in India.