India’s efforts to build home-grown drone and navigation technologies received a boost on Tuesday as Bengaluru-based Zuppa Geo Navigation Technologies partnered with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to set up a Drone Centre of Excellence (CoE).
The facility will be housed at IISc’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and is aimed at accelerating research and development in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems, autonomous platforms and cyber-physical technologies. The initiative aligns with India’s broader push for self-reliance in strategic technologies, particularly in sectors where drones are playing an increasingly critical role.
According to the partners, the centre will function as a research and testing hub, bringing together academic expertise and industry-led innovation. IISc is globally recognised for its work in aerodynamics, robotics, control systems and advanced engineering, while Zuppa specialises in indigenous navigation and UAV platforms.
The collaboration is expected to focus on designing and testing drone technologies suited to Indian conditions, with potential applications across defence, agriculture, logistics, disaster response and smart urban infrastructure.
Sai Pattabiram, founder and managing director of Zuppa Geo Navigation Technologies, said the partnership marked an important step in the company’s long-term vision. He said the Centre of Excellence would combine academic rigour with real-world engineering challenges to create globally competitive solutions developed in India.
A senior representative from IISc’s Department of Mechanical Engineering said the collaboration would help bridge the gap between fundamental research and industry application. The centre, they added, would also serve as a platform for students and researchers to work on complex UAV systems and next-generation drone capabilities.
Beyond technology development, the CoE is expected to play a role in nurturing skilled talent for India’s growing drone ecosystem. By training engineers and researchers in advanced UAV design and autonomy, the initiative aims to strengthen India’s position in a sector that is witnessing rapid global growth.
The partnership reflects a wider trend of collaboration between Indian academia and private technology firms, as the country seeks to reduce dependence on imported drone technologies and build a resilient, indigenous innovation base.
