Bengaluru Tech Summit: Drone Startups Highlight Why The Future of Aerospace Needs Smarter Tech And Clearer Rule
India's aerospace startups spotlight drone innovation, supply chain gaps, and regulatory hurdles at Bengaluru Tech Summit, while GCC seeks AI-driven startup partnerships.
By Anubha Jain
Published : November 19, 2025 at 7:04 PM IST
Bengaluru: "At our drone company, we delivered six aircraft to the Singapore Army for their logistical use cases. That was the first time I engaged with a user from a completely different industry," said Yeshwanth Reddy, co-founder and CEO of Unmanned. "Over the last three years, we've witnessed a major transformation in modern conflicts—they have become increasingly drone-centric. Drone pilots operating from remote shelters are now the norm. These scenarios present opportunities where we are dealing with fully remote technologies, not regulations."
Reddy shared these insights during a session titled 'New Altitude: Next Frontier of Aerospace Tech' at the Bengaluru Tech Summit. He added that as a drone startup, they will soon be deploying advanced smart drones capable of operating at high altitudes of around 20,000 feet in the Leh–Ladakh region.
Alongside Reddy, the panel comprised Anuj Jhunjhunwala, CEO of JJG Aero, and Naman Pushp, Founder and CEO of AirBound. The session was moderated by Manu Iyer, co-founder and General Partner at Bluehill.vc.
Naman Pushp noted that talent is not the problem; the real challenge lies within the industry. “The talent is available. It’s more of an industry issue than a talent issue,” he said. According to him, people are less drawn to certain sectors because there isn’t enough innovation happening there, and as a result, the ability and enthusiasm to train for those fields have diminished.
Anuj Jhunjhunwala noted that the ecosystem has made significant progress, but "there are still no firmly established players", and the "government’s approach has shifted from mere procurement to fostering a partnership-driven and participatory ecosystem".
"Given our unique geopolitical position, there is now a clearer sense of the direction in which innovation is headed. This has accelerated the adoption of new technologies, boosted the funding landscape over the past few years, and increased the real-world iteration and deployment of the technologies that can be developed," he added.
Yeshwanth Reddy emphasised that the biggest weak point in the drone industry is the supply chain. “We are dependent on imports even for basic components such as batteries, sensors, motors, and silicon chips,” he said. While India’s aerospace ecosystem has certainly begun to take shape, he stressed the need to initiate subsystem-level innovation domestically. “Building these foundational capabilities within the country is critical for the future of aerospace and will offer significant long-term advantages for our national interest,” he added.
On the sidelines of the session, Yeshwanth Reddy talked to ETV Bharat to discuss these challenges. When asked about the biggest regulatory and technical challenges in scaling hypersonic flight, in-space manufacturing, and deep-space missions, he explained that the core difficulties arise from the fundamentally different operational regimes these advanced technologies require.
According to him, hypersonic systems cannot follow the traditional approach where certification comes after the technology is built. “Certification has to begin on Day 1—well before an organisation even starts designing the system,” he said.
While development and certification ideally progress hand in hand, the real challenge today is the lack of a dedicated regulatory framework, he further said, adding that currently, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) does not have established norms for evaluating or certifying hypersonic technologies. “We need to work closely with them—not just for approvals but to help define how these systems should be assessed and how companies should be certified,” Reddy noted.
Responding to a question on how the emerging aerospace ecosystem can balance rapid technological advancement with safety, sustainability, and cost efficiency, Reddy noted that this remains a significant challenge. “Every six months, we’re seeing a new iteration of technology. What we build today can become obsolete in half a year—that’s how fast the landscape is evolving,” he said. The only way to navigate this pace, he added, is to develop highly agile software and hardware systems that don’t turn into legacy platforms within months.
Replying to a question about the role advanced materials, miniaturised satellites, and autonomous systems will play in shaping the next frontier of space exploration and defence applications, Reddy said that materials will fundamentally redefine how space systems are conceived. “They will become more efficient and significantly enhance performance. Advanced materials such as composites and carbon- and glass-fibre structures will form the backbone of aerospace systems over the next 5–10 years,” he explained. He added that India is already developing a strong materials ecosystem—one that is, in many ways, ahead of its hardware ecosystem.
In another session titled “Unboxing the GCC Corridor for Startups: Leveraging AI,” strategy and innovation consultant Saveen Hegde, as a keynote speaker, highlighted the GCC region’s emergence as a hub for technology, venture capital, and innovation. He noted that GCC global capability centres are keen to integrate AI but face challenges such as a lack of innovation culture, weak connections with the startup ecosystem, talent retention issues, and high attrition.
“Startups with innovative and tech-driven approaches can help GCC companies overcome these challenges, accelerate growth, and stay competitive,” Hegde said. He added that 70 per cent of GCC companies are actively investing in AI, seeking AI partners rather than traditional AI vendors. Tech-native startups, leveraging AI and fusion strategies, have the fastest opportunity to lead market growth, especially in today’s accelerated digital landscape.
