As India accelerates its journey towards becoming a global drone powerhouse, artificial intelligence is emerging as the technology that will define the next phase of unmanned aerial innovation. At the forefront of this transformation is Garuda Aerospace, one of the country's leading drone manufacturers, which is integrating AI-driven capabilities across agriculture, defence, infrastructure, and smart city applications. From enabling autonomous navigation and real-time analytics to advancing precision farming and intelligent surveillance, the company is leveraging AI to transform drones from data collection tools into decision-making platforms.

In this interview with AI Spectrum, Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and Director of Garuda Aerospace, discusses how AI is shaping the future of unmanned aerial vehicles, the company's collaboration with Tata Elxsi to establish a Centre of Excellence for AI-driven UAV design, and the role of advanced technologies in defence, agriculture, and urban management. He also shares insights from the Garuda Kisan Drone's milestone of one million flight hours, the evolution of AI-powered airspace management systems, and his vision for positioning India as a global hub for AI-enabled drone innovation and manufacturing through initiatives such as the proposed Drone City in Amaravati.

Garuda Aerospace has emerged as a leader in India's drone ecosystem. How is artificial intelligence currently being integrated into your drone platforms, and what role do you see AI playing in the next generation of autonomous UAVs? 

Artificial Intelligence is becoming a crucial part of our drone ecosystem. At Garuda Aerospace, we are integrating AI into areas such as autonomous navigation, aerial data analytics, crop health monitoring, infrastructure inspections, and surveillance. The aim is to help drones not only collect data but also generate meaningful insights that enable faster and more informed decision-making.

Looking ahead, AI will be the key driver of next-generation autonomous UAVs. We see drones evolving from remotely operated systems to intelligent platforms capable of real-time decision-making, obstacle avoidance, adaptive flight planning, and coordinated swarm operations. As drone adoption grows across agriculture, defence, logistics, and infrastructure, AI will play a critical role in improving efficiency, safety, and scalability. Our focus is on building indigenous drone technologies that combine AI, automation, and advanced analytics to solve real-world challenges and strengthen India's position as a global drone innovation hub.

The partnership with Tata Elxsi to establish a Centre of Excellence for AI-driven UAV design is a significant milestone. What specific AI capabilities are you looking to develop, and how will these innovations benefit sectors such as defence, agriculture, and smart cities?

Our partnership with Tata Elxsi is focused on accelerating the development of next-generation, AI-driven UAV technologies designed and built in India. Through the Centre of Excellence, we are working on capabilities such as autonomous navigation, computer vision, real-time object detection, predictive analytics, swarm intelligence, and edge-based decision-making.

These innovations will enable drones to operate more intelligently and efficiently across sectors. In defence, AI-powered UAVs can enhance surveillance, reconnaissance, and situational awareness. In agriculture, they can support precision farming through crop health analysis, resource optimisation, and early detection of pest or disease outbreaks. For smart cities, AI-enabled drones can assist in traffic monitoring, infrastructure inspections, emergency response, and urban planning. The broader objective is to create scalable, indigenous drone solutions that improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and deliver actionable intelligence across critical sectors.

With over one million flight hours achieved by the Garuda Kisan Drone, what key insights have you gathered from the data generated by these operations, and how is AI helping transform that data into actionable intelligence for farmers?

Crossing one million flight hours with the Garuda Kisan Drone has provided us with valuable insights into crop conditions, spraying patterns, operational efficiency, and regional farming challenges across diverse geographies. One key learning is that data-driven interventions can significantly improve resource utilisation while helping farmers make more informed decisions.

AI plays a crucial role in converting this vast amount of aerial data into actionable intelligence. By analysing crop health, identifying stress indicators, detecting pest infestations, and highlighting nutrient deficiencies, AI enables farmers to take timely corrective measures. This not only improves productivity and reduces input costs but also supports more sustainable farming practices. Our vision is to move beyond drone-based spraying and create a comprehensive precision agriculture ecosystem where data, AI, and automation work together to empower farmers and enhance agricultural outcomes.

Garuda Aerospace has expanded its presence in defence and security applications, including the launch of the MV 1000 Amaran and collaborations with HAL, BEML, and DRDO. How do you see AI-enabled drones reshaping modern defence and surveillance operations in India?

 AI-enabled drones are transforming defence operations from reactive surveillance to real-time intelligence and autonomous decision-making. With platforms like the MV 1000 Amaran and our collaborations with organisations such as HAL, BEML, and DRDO, we are focused on developing drones that can deliver enhanced situational awareness, target detection, mission planning, and persistent surveillance capabilities. A reliable and technologically advanced defence ecosystem that is prepared for the evolving nature of modern warfare.

As drone adoption accelerates, challenges related to airspace management, safety, and regulation are becoming increasingly important. How will emerging technologies, such as AI-powered Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) systems, help create a safer and more scalable drone ecosystem?

As drone operations scale across industries, intelligent airspace management will be essential to ensure safety, efficiency, and regulatory compliance. AI-powered Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) systems will play a critical role by enabling real-time monitoring of drone traffic, automated flight approvals, dynamic route optimisation, collision avoidance, and seamless coordination between multiple UAVs operating in shared airspace. These capabilities will help reduce operational risks, improve airspace visibility, and support large-scale drone deployments for sectors such as agriculture, logistics, infrastructure, and defence. As the ecosystem matures, AI-driven UTM platforms will be key to building a safe, scalable, and future-ready drone industry while ensuring compliance with evolving regulatory frameworks.

Looking ahead to your planned IPO and the development of the proposed Drone City in Amaravati, what is your long-term vision for positioning Garuda Aerospace and India as a global hub for AI-powered drone innovation and manufacturing?

Our long-term vision is to contribute to building a globally competitive drone ecosystem from India by focusing on innovation, indigenous technology development, and scalable manufacturing. Our planned IPO and initiatives, such as the proposed Drone City in Amaravati, are aligned with this broader objective of strengthening research, skill development, testing infrastructure, and industry collaboration.

We believe AI will play an increasingly important role in unlocking new applications for drones across sectors such as agriculture, defence, infrastructure, logistics, and public services. As adoption grows, India has a unique opportunity to emerge as a hub for advanced drone technologies by leveraging its strong engineering talent, supportive policy framework, and rapidly evolving innovation ecosystem.

For Garuda Aerospace, the focus remains on developing reliable, technology-driven drone solutions while contributing to India's ambition of becoming a leading global hub for drone innovation, manufacturing, and deployment.