Bharat Forge, the forging and advanced engineering company, on Thursday announced a collaboration with UK-based autonomous cargo drone manufacturer Windracers Limited to deploy, localise and operate the latter’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) ULTRA across India.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed at the ongoing DSEI UK 2025 global defence exhibition in London, forms part of both companies’ broader aerospace growth strategy. The partnership aims to advance UAV capabilities in India while supporting technology transfer, innovation, and strategic aerospace applications across defence, Bharat Forge said.

The MoU begins with an initial two-year term, allowing the companies to advance localisation, conduct joint trials, and develop a definitive deployment agreement for India. The collaboration also builds on the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), fostering aerospace innovation and aligning with India-UK Vision 2035.

Amit Kalyani, Joint Managing Director of Bharat Forge, stated: “We are partnering with Windracers under the positive framework of the UK-India FTA. Windracers ULTRA enhances India’s indigenous UAV capabilities while providing robust solutions for logistics across some of the world’s most challenging terrains.”

According to Bharat Forge, the UAV has demonstrated multi-mission resilience in international operations, including Antarctic research missions. It is expected to deliver similar benefits in India by ensuring safe and efficient transport over hazardous and inaccessible terrain.

Kalyani added: “With industry-leading payload capacity and proven performance in high-altitude, maritime, and remote terrains, Windracers ULTRA is ideally suited for tri-service needs—naval, air, and land—supporting the Indian Ministry of Defence’s 15-year roadmap for unmanned logistics, naval operations, high-altitude supply chains, and dual-use technologies.”

The partnership is expected to meet emerging requirements across India’s military and civil sectors, including Carrier On Board Delivery (COD) operations for the Indian Navy, critical logistics for the Indian Army and Air Force, and other operational roles in diverse environments.