iCreate (International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology), India’s leading deep-tech incubator, hosted the Demo Day for the iCreate Drone Challenge (iDC), where 14 shortlisted startups presented their advanced drone prototypes and indigenous technologies to industry leaders, government representatives, defence experts, and investors.
Launched in partnership with Startup India (DPIIT) under the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge initiative, iDC has been India’s first large-scale platform focused on redefining drone innovation, specifically in speed, payload, endurance, and indigenous component development. The challenge attracted over 500 applications from 26 states and UTs, with strong participation from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
After a rigorous selection process, 14 startups were inducted into a 30-day prototype acceleration programme at iCreate’s 40-acre campus in Ahmedabad. The programme provided access to state-of-the-art labs, prototyping facilities, and expert mentoring from global leaders in aerodynamics, propulsion, autonomy, and materials engineering.
The event was graced by Mr. Sanjay Sharma, General Manager at ONGC Startup Fund, as the Chief Guest, and Air Cmde (Dr.) Jayanta Kumar Sahu (Retd), Director (Projects) at Rashtriya Raksha University, as the Guest of Honour, who highlighted the importance of indigenous drone technologies for national security and industrial advancement.
Distinguished dignitaries in attendance included Air Commodore Rajnish Verma (Retd), Centre Head – Aerospace Studies, Rashtriya Raksha University; Mr. Firoj Patel, Director – Engineering (PES), eInfochips; Mr. Akhilesh Kumar, Zonal Head, Union Bank of India; and Mr. Hemang Vaidya, Associate Vice President, GVFL, along with industry leaders and startup founders, and representatives from India Accelerator and the Gujarat Power Research & Development (GPRD) Cell. The event was also graced by a virtual address from Mr. Ameet Parikh, Chairman, Startup Taskforce, Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).
Mr. Avinash Punekar, CEO of iCreate, said, “The iCreate Drone Challenge Demo Day represents a decisive step in positioning India as a global hub for drone innovation and manufacturing. By leveraging iCreate’s infrastructure and mentorship, these startups have converted advanced concepts into pilot-ready solutions, reflecting the growing depth, capability, and global competitiveness of India’s deep-tech ecosystem.”
Sharing his perspective, Air Cmde (Dr.) Jayanta Kumar Sahu (Retd), Director (Projects) at Rashtriya Raksha University, added, “The technologies presented at the Demo Day reflect India’s growing capability to develop secure, reliable and mission-ready unmanned systems. Indigenous innovation in drones and components will play a vital role in strengthening national security and strategic autonomy.”
Mr. Sanjay Sharma, General Manager at ONGC Startup Fund, stated, “The innovations showcased at the iCreate Drone Challenge Demo Day highlight how emerging drone technologies can transform operations in the oil and gas sector, particularly in areas such as asset inspection, safety monitoring, and remote operations. By bringing together startups, academia, and industry stakeholders from manufacturing and defence, this programme strengthens India’s innovation pipeline and accelerates the adoption of indigenous technologies across critical sectors.”
The Demo Day featured a diverse set of startups showcasing indigenous drone and deep-tech solutions across autonomy, navigation, propulsion, and defence applications. Participants included Azper Science (unmanned fleet autonomy), Drobots Tech (autonomous payload deployment for logistics and disaster response), StelX Dynamics (GPS-denied navigation drones), Hypower Green Energy Technologies (reversible fuel cell technology harvesting atmospheric water vapour), Seven Rounds Defender (anti-drone interception and terminal guidance systems), Verham Robotics (hybrid UAV-UGV platforms for surveillance and search and rescue), Black Kite (indigenous flight controller with 3D mapping and spatial reconstruction), Eleven Robotics (single-chip Linux-based robotic compute platform), Amani Automation (AI-enabled flight controllers with obstacle avoidance), Bramer (series-hybrid UAV with onboard power generation for long endurance), AiDrone (integrated UAS and counter-UAS solutions with drone forensics), Vayunotics Technologies (indigenous avionics and secure ground control systems), Gyrodrive Machineries (rare-earth-free propulsion stack), and Alphoenix Design (high-efficiency indigenous BLDC motors).
