Garuda Aerospace Opens Chennai Battery Plant for Drone Manufacturing

Garuda Aerospace enhanced the domestic Indian drone supply chain by opening a new Drone Battery Manufacturing Facility in Chennai as part of the growing localization of the industry.

The shift emphasizes the fact that Indian drone manufacturers are no longer limited to airframes to ensure local production of fundamental technologies to drive unmanned systems.

It is developing at a time when the world has become increasingly concerned about the supply chains and sources of technology of drones. Recent actions by the FCC have been hastening the nationalist drive toward secure, nationally dominated production in the United States.

 The same goal is being sought by India via the Make in India and Production Linked Incentive (PLI) programs, which intend to decrease reliance on foreign part supplies and establish stability in the industrial sector. Garuda Aerospace is also going hand in hand with the strategy of that nation.

Also Read: How 2025 Reshaped the Drone Sector and What 2026 Will Bring

The plant was commissioned by Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in a virtual event that took place on January 7, 2026, at the operations center at Chennai of the company. It was held with the help of Bharat Drone Udaan program and Bharat Drone Association in which regulators, industry organizations, and manufacturers all pulled together to coordinate their efforts.

Other than battery plant, Garuda Aerospace declared the development of its DGCA-approved Remote Pilot Training Organisation, which was in response to the increasing demand of trained drone pilots as more sectors adopt the technology.

The company reports that the new capability of battery production is to supply an end-to-end, self-reliant drone ecosystem. The plant is anticipated to boost domestic manufacturing power and assist in drone applications in agriculture, infrastructure surveillance, defence, disaster management and logistics, solidifying India as a leading player in the drone sector.