New Delhi: Optiemus Infracom Ltd. plans to invest 25 crore through its new division, Optiemus Unmanned Systems (OUS), to develop and manufacture high-precision drones locally.

The drones, unveiled at India Mobile Congress 2023, are equipped with state-of-the-art features such as advanced sensors, secure communication systems, and robust safety measures. This move aligns with the Indian government's "Make in India" push and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Atmanirbhar Bharat agenda to promote domestically designed and produced goods. OUS aims to leverage its expertise in creating drones suitable for sectors like defence, healthcare, agriculture, and logistics, mining, railways, and oil and gas. Applications span across asset and disaster management, delivery services, mapping, and precision farming. “As data security is a major concern, we are focussed on localisation, and sourcing parts from trusted partners and trusted locations as per government guidelines. We have already localised 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, Optiemus Infracom. OUS's ambitious roadmap includes achieving 65% local component usage within a year and preparing its products for global markets. The company also plans to broaden its range of unmanned vehicles for different terrains. As per estimates from industry chamber Ficci, drone manufacturing potential in India could be worth $4.2 billion by 2025, growing to $23 billion by 2030 making India a drone manufacturing power. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!"