Flying Wedge Defence & Aerospace (FWDA), an Indian defence technology company, has entered into an industrial partnership with KEYDEF, the defence and aerospace division of Portuguese technology company SKETCHPIXEL LDA, to manufacture FWDA’s Kaal Bhairava autonomous UAV and YAMA Interceptor in Portugal for international markets. The agreement was signed at KEYDEF’s facilities in Braga in the presence of India’s Ambassador to Portugal Puneet Roy Kundal and Angola’s Consul-General in Porto, Dulce Gomes. As part of the agreement, KEYDEF will make an initial investment of €6 million in FWDA’s Made-in-India technologies.
The proposed Portuguese manufacturing operations will cover FWDA’s portfolio of surveillance systems, air defence platforms and civilian applications, including precision agriculture. SKETCHPIXEL and KEYDEF will also contribute to the development of electronic components and artificial intelligence systems for the platforms.
The companies plan to pursue NATO certification for systems manufactured in Portugal, with the objective of supporting commercialisation in NATO member countries and other international markets. The location of the proposed manufacturing facility has not yet been finalised, with KEYDEF evaluating proposals from different municipalities based on infrastructure, land availability, fiscal incentives and access to skilled talent.
Suhas Tejaskanda, CEO, Flying Wedge Defence & Aerospace, said, “Portugal represents a natural gateway for bringing Indian engineering into Europe. The combination of industrial capability, AI expertise and research partnerships gives us the opportunity to build a much broader aerospace technology footprint in Portugal.”
Miguel Abreu, CEO, SKETCHPIXEL and Director, KEYDEF, said, “This agreement transforms a relationship of trust into a factory. Portugal will now produce, in a partnership that combines Portuguese and Indian engineering and know-how, systems that will be sold worldwide.”
FWDA is also collaborating with the University of Minho on the development of a long-duration uncrewed aircraft targeting 100 hours of endurance. The research programme covers aircraft design, materials and autonomous systems and is aimed at advancing persistent unmanned flight capabilities.
The research partnership follows Kaal Bhairava Lite completing more than 100 cumulative hours of flight testing. The collaboration is expected to support the broader technology base for FWDA’s planned Portuguese operations across aerospace manufacturing, advanced materials, engineering, simulation, AI and research. A joint laboratory is planned at Fábrica do Arquinho from 2028 to provide a framework for continued industry-academia collaboration.
Flying Wedge Defence & Aerospace is a Bengaluru-based defence technology and AI company founded in 2022 by Suhas Tejaskanda. The company develops autonomous defence systems and unmanned aircraft. Its portfolio includes the FWD-200B unmanned bomber and Kaal Bhairava programme. FWDA says its Kaal Bhairava E2A2 platform is designed for up to 30 hours of endurance and a range of 3,000 km. The company has also developed Kaal Bhairava Lite and is pursuing international manufacturing and export opportunities.
