Skydio enters India through partnership with local drone manufacturer Aeroarc

Leading US drone manufacturer Skydio says it will be entering India’s swiftly expanding UAV market through a partnership with local company Aeroarc – a solution that will facilitate the production and marketing of its products despite the country’s protectionist policies.

Skydio made the announcement of its drone move to India in a laconic Twitter post that it thus far hasn’t expanded on with a longer communiqué. 

In its tweet, the company said it was excited to partner up with Aeroarc in order “to make the world’s most advanced drones available for Indian government customers, compliant with local regulations, and world class security standards.” It noted the development is taking place at the same time the US government “deepens its strategic partnership with India.”

Skydio’s entry into India comes less than two weeks after Canadian drone company Draganfly announced a similar partnership with a local group as its method for taking its business to the rapidly growing but protectionism prone economy.

Under policies dubbed “Make in India,” rules frustrate – when not ban outright – importation of goods that could be produced domestically, thus encouraging development of key sectors of the nation’s economy while also fueling its further growth.

By confiding producing of drones already being made in North America to local partners who’ll also handle distribution and sales in India, Skydio and Draganfly are able to enter the nation’s robust UAV sector without falling afoul of the country’s protectionist restrictions.

Read: Phoenix Fire Department adds the Skydio X2 to its toolbox

Skydio partner Aeroarc’s LinkedIn page describes the company as “India’s premier drone manufacturer… (offering) intelligent flying machines for use by consumers, enterprise, and government customers.” The website link it provides jumps directly to the India-registered page of Malaysia’s drone data, tech, and transmission group, Aerodyne, whose logo Aeroarc appears to share. 

Additional information on Skydio’s new drone ally was provided today by the Times of India, which said Aeroarc has manufacturing facilities in Tamil Nadu, and plans to open least two others elsewhere in the country. It quoted company founder Arjun Aggarwal cheering the link-up with what most rankings cite as the largest drone maker in the US.

“Skydio (which uses 100% non-Chinese components) has partnered with us and that will enable local adoption of their technology, which is being used by the US army and other global security forces too,” said Aggarwal, who added India is now poised to become the world’s biggest drone producer. “Skydio has a unique AI technology to navigate its surroundings in real-time, allowing these UAVs to fly in complex obstacle dense environments with ease.”