EndureAir, a manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), announced on Wednesday its collaboration with five defence public sector undertakings (PSUs) to establish advanced testing facilities under the Defence Testing Infrastructure (DTI) Scheme of the Ministry of Defence.
The Ministry has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to create these state-of-the-art testing centers within the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC). The initiative aims to drive technological advancements and provide critical infrastructure for testing and refining specialized defence technologies, particularly in the unmanned aerial systems sector, according to EndureAir’s statement.
The DTI Scheme, which was launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in May 2020 with a budget of Rs 400 crore, seeks to establish testing facilities in partnership with private industry and government entities. The goal is to boost indigenous defence production, reduce reliance on imported military equipment, and enhance self-sufficiency.
One of these testing centers will be dedicated to Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and will be located at Technopark IIT Kanpur, marking a significant milestone in India’s drone industry and the development of homegrown defence technologies.
EndureAir is the only private company involved in this initiative alongside five Defence PSUs: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), Gliders India Ltd, Yantra India Ltd, and BEML. The MoU represents a vital step toward achieving self-reliance in the defence sector by facilitating the certification of UAS and their subsystems to meet international standards, EndureAir noted.
For EndureAir and the wider drone industry, this collaboration presents a crucial opportunity to utilize advanced testing infrastructure, fostering innovation and boosting the global competitiveness of Indian-made UAVs.
