Shri Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), recently inaugurated Garuda Aerospace’s new drone battery manufacturing facility in Chennai, marking a key milestone in India’s self-reliant drone ecosystem. The event followed the company’s recent defence drone facility launch and underscored closer collaboration between the regulator and the domestic drone industry.

During the visit, Shri Kidwai also inaugurated a new academic block at Garuda Aerospace’s DGCA-approved Remote Pilot Training Organisation, aimed at expanding training capacity and meeting rising demand for certified drone pilots across agriculture, infrastructure, defence, disaster management and logistics. The occasion also saw the unveiling of the ‘Garuda Bharat Drone Udaan Impact Book’, documenting the company’s journey, milestones and contribution to indigenous drone technology.

Garuda Aerospace highlighted that the new battery manufacturing facility and academic block together strengthen its end-to-end capabilities spanning manufacturing, training and deployment. The company stated that the expansion aligns with national initiatives supporting Make in India, indigenisation and the growth of India’s drone economy.

The development reinforces Garuda Aerospace’s focus on local manufacturing, regulatory compliance and ecosystem building, positioning the company to support the rapidly expanding adoption of drones across civilian and strategic applications in India.