Mumbai-based ideaForge Technology Limited has announced a strategic partnership with Vantage Robotics, a nano and micro UAV provider based in Silicon Valley, California. The collaboration aims to broaden ideaForge’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) solution offerings and strengthen its presence in the North American market.
The partnership allows the companies to open up a market with a total addressable market (TAM) of $1 billion.
“Vantage Robotics has built an impressive portfolio of nano and micro drones, and together, we will offer next-generation UAV solutions globally that push the boundaries of performance, reliability, and autonomy,” said Ankit Mehta, CEO at ideaForge.
The partnership will see the two companies work together to develop solutions for defence and enterprise applications. Mehta added that it would “deepen our presence in the United States given their (Vantage’s) Blue sUAS status, experience and history in the region”.
Vantage Robotics also offers innovative drone ground control stations and micro-gimbal camera subsystems, which can complement ideaForge’s platforms and solutions. The latter’s advanced software and intelligence capabilities can help Vantage enhance its offerings.
Vantage Robotics CEO Tobin Fisher said the company looks forward to working with ideaForge to advance their “shared mission of delivering the absolute best tools to our national security, law enforcement, and inspection customers in India and beyond”.
In a recent conversation with AIM, Bengaluru-based Skylark Drones’ co-founder and CEO Mughilan Thiru Ramasamy gave first-hand insights into the impact of regulatory hurdles and slower approval processes on India’s drone revolution.
According to him, the biggest challenge was the lack of a central platform where one could apply for permissions. “Everything still runs on pen and paper, or at best, email, which is just digital paper,” he explained.
Additionally, Bodhisattwa Sanghapriya, founder and CEO of Gurugram-based IG Drones, told AIM that while the government has made progress in easing compliance, faster clearances for trusted domestic players will further accelerate industry growth.
Meanwhile, IG Drones launched India’s first Drone Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in collaboration with parliamentarian Sujeet Kumar. This was unveiled in Odisha’s Kalahandi district with the aim to equip tribal youth and women with drone technology skills.
