Optiemus Infracom Ltd. intends to spend Rs. 25 crore on its new business, Optiemus Unmanned Systems (OUS), to design and manufacture high-precision drones in the country.
In recent years, drones have grown in popularity and versatility, with uses ranging from military and emergency services to agriculture, filmmaking, and even recreational usage. These Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or UAVs, are outfitted with a variety of sensors and cameras and may be remotely operated or programmed to follow a predetermined flight route.
One of the most important advantages of drones is their capacity to reach and take photographs and film from angles and heights that a human operator would find difficult or impracticable. As a result, UAVs have become a vital tool in sectors such as construction, where they may be used to survey and map land, and search and rescue efforts, where they can offer an overhead perspective of a disaster zone.
Drones are used in agriculture to monitor crops, check plant health, and spray pesticides and fertilizers. Drones have transformed the way filmmakers shoot video in the film and television industry, enabling them to obtain sweeping overhead panoramas and dynamic tracking shots that were previously difficult or impossible to accomplish.
The drones, which were introduced at the India Mobile Congress 2023, are outfitted with cutting-edge technology such as smart sensors, secure communication systems, and rigorous safety measures. This decision is consistent with the Indian government’s “Make in India” initiative and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat agenda, which aims to encourage locally developed and manufactured items.
OUS intends to use its experience in developing drones for areas such as defense, healthcare, agriculture, logistics, mining, trains, and oil and gas. Asset and disaster management, delivery services, mapping, and precision farming are some of the applications.
“As data security is a major concern, we are focussed on localization, and sourcing parts from trusted partners and trusted locations as per government guidelines. We have already localized autopilot, motor controller, GNSS receiver, and power management system. We will also provide comprehensive support for maintenance, repairs including spare parts, and upgrade our deployed drones,” said Ashoek K Gupta, chairman, of Optiemus Infracom.
The ambitious vision of OUS involves attaining 65% local component use in a year and preparing its goods for worldwide markets. The business also intends to expand its line of unmanned vehicles for various terrains.
According to industry group Ficci, India’s drone manufacturing potential may be valued at $4.2 billion by 2025, rising to $23 billion by 2030, establishing India as a drone manufacturing giant.
