CIVILIAN DRONES AND HELICOPTERS ADD DIVERSITY TO AERO-INDIA 2025

Aero India 2025 maintained its status as the nation's leading aerospace exhibition, characterized by the presence of major Indian and multinational corporations demonstrating their capabilities in military aviation, equipment, and services.

- RASHEED KAPPAN

Dominated by Indian and multinational biggies showcasing their prowess in military aviation, equipment and services, the recently concluded Aero India 2025 stuck to its legacy as the country's premier aerospace exposition. But on the civil aviation side, the show offered an opportunity for smaller players to display their drones, demonstrate their innovations, network and push for collaborations. And then there were the ALHs and Dornier 228s.

Echoing the trend over the last four airshows, drone startups did showcase a definite level-up. For instance, a Bengaluru-based startup, Scandron unveiled its CargoMax 20KHC, claiming it to be India's most powerful cargo drone with a 200kg payload capacity. Although the startup offered it as an option for the armed forces as a reliable aerial logistics platform for last-mile deliveries, the thrust was also on civilian operations.

The drone was showcased as capable of last-mile deliveries at altitudes exceeding 5,500 metres, supporting both military and civilian demands in remote regions. It was also presented as a platform designed to enhance mid-mile transport between warehouses, reducing delivery times and increasing efficiency. To boost disaster relief and emergency response, the drone could be equipped for heavy-lifting operations, delivering emergency aid to disaster-stricken regions.

Drones as a service

Offering drone as a service (DaaS), HILD Defence and Aerospace demonstrated its UAVs amped for photography and videography, maximized for surveillance. They would double up as agri-drones with up to 30 minutes of endurance and variable camera configurations. The survey drones built for mapping had endurance exceeding one hour. Many of these were offered in quad and hexa configurations. Among its civil applications were asset mapping, monitoring highway construction and maintenance, railway and mining survey and monitoring.