CHENNAI: Garuda Aerospace, a leading drone manufacturer, has announced plans to build a dedicated Defence Drone facility in Chennai, boosting the Centre's 'Make in India' initiative. In a recent meeting with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi, Agnishwer Jayaprakash, the founder and CEO of Garuda Aerospace, outlined the vision for this state-of-the-art facility focused on drone design, manufacturing, and testing, based on recommendations from HAL and BEML. The new facility will focus on developing indigenous drone subsystems and manufacturing essential components, including drone motors, batteries, and transmitters. Garuda Aerospace aims to create advanced drones with capabilities for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), along with swarm drones, tethered drones, and underwater drones, as stated in a company announcement. Following his discussion with the Defence Minister, Jayaprakash expressed gratitude for the support, saying, "I had the privilege of meeting Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Garuda Aerospace's plan of Make in India for the world was also greatly appreciated by the Defence Minister, who gave his complete support to expand Garuda's functions to enable Aatmanirbhar Bharat." He also highlighted recent partnerships with Agrowing, based in Israel, and Spirit Aeronautics from Greece. "The interaction emphasized the crucial role of defense drone technology and the Prime Minister's vision for the world. Garuda Aerospace will be at the forefront of enabling the Prime Minister's and Defence Minister's vision for its armed forces," he added. India and US Set to Finalize $3.1 Billion MQ-9B Predator Drone Deal by October Assam Rifles Deploy Anti-Drone Systems in Manipur as Violence Escalates