Garuda Aerospace, a Chennai-based drone startup that recently received funding from cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has teamed up with HiiLSE Global Sdn Bhd (HiiLSE Drones) to establish a drone factory in Malaysia.
Called HiiLSE Garuda Aerospace Plant, it will be spread over 2.42 hectares on an investment of ₹115 crore. The aim is to provide cutting-edge technology to the government as well as private sectors across the region.
When asked about the capacity of the plant, Agnishwar Jayaprakash, founder and CEO of Garuda Aerospace, told The Hindu that around 40-50 drones could be made per day. He said the focus would be on drones that would cater to industry 4.0 and precision agriculture (spraying and crop monitoring).
Citing an example of how drones have made work simpler, Mr. Jayaprakash said, “Earlier, one had to spend 4-5 days for industrial chimney inspections. They used ropes to climb and inspect the inside and outside of chimney or smokestack. The same inspection is being done within three hours with the help of drones,” he said.
In a statement, HiiLSE Drones founder and CTO Shanmugam S. Thanggavilo said, “We are delighted to partner with Garuda Aerospace in setting up a drone manufacturing plant in Malaysia, which focuses on technology and efficiency, thereby reducing cost. Having such a plant in the region would create 3,000 new jobs centered around drone expertise."
Founded in 2015, Garuda Aerospace makes 30 types of drones and offers over 50 services such as precision agriculture spray, industry 4.0 upgrade services, structural damage inspection, warehouse management, seed dropping, solar panel cleaning, project monitoring and drone delivery of medicines to hospitals.
