Garuda Aerospace Unveils India’s First Drone Showroom in Chennai
In a pioneering move set to revolutionize the drone industry in India, Garuda Aerospace has launched the nation’s first exclusive drone showroom in Chennai. The showroom, which features a wide array of drones catering to diverse applications such as First Person View (FPV), surveillance, videography, agriculture, inspections, and recreational flying, marks a significant milestone for the Chennai-based startup.
The state-of-the-art showroom is equipped with high-tech interactive drone simulators, offering visitors a realistic drone flying experience through VR goggles. “Garuda Aerospace’s first drone showroom is creating revolution, with further plans for 300 pan-India to empower future drone adoption,” said Dr. R Velraj, Vice Chancellor of Anna University, who inaugurated the opening ceremony alongside Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO of Garuda Aerospace.
The company, which is backed by cricket legend MS Dhoni, has ambitious plans to go public within the next 6-8 months, according to Jayaprakash. He reiterated these goals at YourStory’s startup-tech event TechSparks 2023 last year and reaffirmed them in a recent statement. “This showroom will provide a platform for consumers and businesses to experience the potential of drone technology firsthand and gain the knowledge and support they need to leverage this transformative technology. With our planned expansion to major cities across India, we aim to empower a wider audience and revolutionise the way drones are perceived and utilised in our country,” Jayaprakash added.
Dr. Velraj emphasized the showroom’s role in breaking traditional barriers and enhancing consumer awareness and direct sales of drone technology. “The showroom concept for industrial drones breaks tradition, increasing consumer awareness and direct sales for this technology,” he noted.
Garuda Aerospace has raised a total of $28.3 million in funding, with its latest Series A round in October 2023 led by Venture Catalysis and We Founder Circle, according to Tracxn. The startup has received approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for manufacturing Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the small and medium categories, as well as for pilot training. It boasts a presence in over 400 districts across India.
Founded in 2015, Garuda Aerospace offers B2B drone solutions across various sectors and operates a fleet of over 400 drones with 500 pilots in 84 cities. The company is focused on developing advanced drone solutions for the armed forces in collaboration with global defense and aerospace giants. Garuda Aerospace holds a dominant 50% market share in the precision agriculture drone market and owns 20% of all registered drones in India.