U.S. drone manufacturer Skydio, and Aeroarc, an Indian drone manufacturer, have formed a new partnership.
The partnership 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 established an R&D center in Bengaluru last year. 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,” added 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.”