Startups
demonstrate advanced drone prototypes and indigenous systems aligned with
India’s vision of becoming a global drone technology hub by 2030

Ahmedabad,
13 February 2026 :  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).

About
iCreate

iCreate
(International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology) is India’s leading
incubator, providing deep tech startups the fastest runway to
commercialisation. With a focus on hardware-based innovations in Mobility Tech,
Climate Tech, Health Tech, and Defence & Aerospace Tech, it follows a
high-touch, entrepreneur-first approach in nurturing startups. Since its
inception, it has supported over 900 innovations and 60 patents through
incubation, acceleration programmes, mentorship, market connects, and funding.

iCreate’s
state-of-the-art 40-acre campus was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
in 2018. iCreate has served as the knowledge partner to the Vibrant Gujarat
Global Summit, and as the Secretariat for Startup20 under India’s G20
Presidency. iCreate has been recognised as the Impact Incubator of the Year at
the Micelio Mobility Awards 2024 and is the recipient of the National Award for
Technology Business Incubator 2020.a