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India’s indigenous defence technology sector has received a significant boost with GVFL’s recent investment in insideFPV, a homegrown drone manufacturing startup. The ₹6 crore Pre-Series A funding round marks a strategic commitment to developing combat ready unmanned aerial systems designed specifically for national security applications.
Addressing Critical Defence Requirements
The genesis of insideFPV traces back to 2020, emerging in response to urgent operational needs identified during the Galwan Valley conflict. The startup was established to bridge a critical gap in India’s defence infrastructure – the absence of reliable, indigenous drone systems capable of performing under actual combat conditions. Unlike laboratory prototypes, insideFPV focuses on developing platforms that prioritize operational reliability and battlefield performance.
Strategic Capital Deployment
The fresh capital infusion will be systematically allocated across multiple strategic initiatives. A substantial portion will enhance the company’s core product portfolio, encompassing first person view drones, surveillance platforms, kamikaze systems, and interceptor capabilities. Manufacturing infrastructure will be strengthened to achieve defence grade production standards while building adequate working capital reserves for scaled operations.
Beyond hardware development, the investment will support comprehensive testing and validation protocols ensuring consistent performance in challenging environments. Additionally, resources will be directed toward deployment infrastructure, including specialized training programs for drone operators and establishing robust maintenance and repair capabilities for sustained field operations.
Proven Operational Capabilities
insideFPV has already demonstrated its technical prowess through notable achievements. The company emerged victorious at the Him Dron-a-thon, a rigorous high altitude drone competition organized by the Indian Army at approximately 16,000 to 17,000 feet at Wari La Pass in Ladakh. The company’s platforms have also demonstrated performance in extreme environments during high altitude operations with the Indian Army. This validation underscores the company’s ability to engineer systems that function effectively in extreme conditions – a critical requirement for border and tactical operations.
Vision for Indigenous Defence Manufacturing
Speaking on the investment, GVFL’s Managing Director Mihir Joshi emphasized the importance of mission driven deep tech entrepreneurship in strengthening India’s defence capabilities. The firm recognizes insideFPV’s strong in house technical capabilities and operational understanding as key differentiators in the competitive defence technology landscape.
insideFPV’s leadership, comprising CEO Arth Chowdhary, CTO Deyvant Bhardwaj, and COO Oshi Kumari, has articulated an ambitious growth trajectory. The immediate focus remains on scaling production capacity and refining product offerings over the next twelve months. Long term objectives include establishing the company as an internationally recognized Indian defence drone manufacturer, capable of serving both domestic armed forces and allied nations with proven, reliable systems.
This investment represents a meaningful step toward achieving self reliance in critical defence technologies while building indigenous capabilities that can compete globally.
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