Optiemus Infracom forays into drone manufacturing for domestic, global mkt

Electronic manufacturing company Optiemus Infracom on Friday said it has forayed into end-to-end drone production business targeting both domestic and global markets.

The drone business will be handled by the company's new division Optiemus Unmanned Systems (OUS). Optiemus will design, develop, manufacture and market the drones, the company said in a regulatory filing on Friday.

"With a goal to achieve up to 65 per cent indigenisation within a year of launch, OUS aims to make its products export-ready, expand offerings in smarter payloads, and enhance product autonomy with a broader range of unmanned vehicles for various terrains," the filing said.

Optiemus will invest Rs 25 crore in the research and development of drones which will target a wide range of applications, including defence, healthcare, agriculture, logistics, mining, railways, and oil and gas.

"Optiemus Unmanned Systems is committed to design and manufacture reliable unmanned systems for today and tomorrow. 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," Optiemus Infracom, Chairman, Ashoek K Gupta said in a statement.

Application areas for drones will also encompass asset management, disaster management, delivery, mapping and survey, and precision agriculture.

"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," Gupta said.