Unmanned Aviation Startup EndureAir Raises ₹25 Cr Funding Led By IAN Alpha Fund

EndureAir Systems, a deep-tech UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) company & aerial robotic solutions provider, has raised ₹25 crores from IAN Alpha Fund (along with IAN Angel Fund). The capital will be deployed to strengthen EndureAir’s deep-tech drone capabilities for the defense ecosystem, expand into enterprise markets, and advance the development of next-generation high-altitude logistics and aerial robotics platforms.

Founded in 2018 by Dr. Abhishek, Professor of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Kanpur, along with his former students Rama Krishna and Chirag Jain, EndureAir has rapidly emerged as a pioneer in India’s indigenous UAV sector. Unlike drone assemblers, the company develops both hardware and software entirely in-house, backed by more than 15 years of rotorcraft research and a portfolio of 8 patents. This research-driven approach gives EndureAir a strong edge in building rugged and mission-ready UAVs tailored for India’s terrain.EndureAir’s flagship platforms are already in active deployment. Sabal, its heavy-lift logistics UAV family (10–70 kg payloads), has proven high-altitude capabilities, with Sabal (20 kg) inducted by the Indian Army’s Eastern Command. Vibhram, its long-endurance UAV, powered Telangana’s Medicine from the Sky program by delivering vaccines to remote areas. Alakh, the nano-UAV series, has supported high-stakes rescue operations including the Chamoli cloudburst, Silkyara Tunnel rescue, and earthquake relief in Turkey.

EndureAir is also co-developing high-altitude logistics drones with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and working with Druk Holding & Investments group (DHI) in Bhutan on pilot logistics missions to remote monasteries.

Rama Krishna, Co-founder & CEO, EndureAir, said, “As we continue to develop the next generation of deep-tech aerial robotics for the defense ecosystem, we are dedicated to promoting enterprise adoption of UAV technology. With the help of this fundraise led by IAN Alpha Fund, we can move more quickly to develop strong, domestic systems that can function well even in the most difficult environments. By creating solutions that benefit the Indian armed forces as well as transform how businesses use aerial mobility/logistics, we hope to position India as a global leader in UAV innovation.”

Sarika Saxena, Managing Partner, IAN Alpha Fund, said, “EndureAir embodies the very best of India's deep-tech potential. By transforming cutting-edge research into powerful, indigenous solutions, they are meeting critical needs in defense, enterprise, and disaster response. We're proud to partner with a team that is not only pushing the boundaries of UAV technology but also demonstrating how India's innovative spirit can set a new global standard.”

Headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, EndureAir Systems originated from advanced UAV research at IIT Kanpur and has since evolved into a mission-driven enterprise serving defense, logistics, surveillance, and disaster-response sectors. Its UAVs have already been deployed by the Indian Army, government agencies, and international humanitarian missions in critical environments. With this funding round, the company aims to strengthen its leadership in high-altitude UAV logistics, expand enterprise offerings, and continue building cutting-edge aerial robotics solutions that demonstrate India’s deep-tech innovation.

About EndureAir Systems:

EndureAir Systems is a Noida-based deep-tech UAV company founded in 2018 by Dr. Abhishek, Professor of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Kanpur, along with his students — now IIT Kanpur alumni — Rama Krishna and Chirag Jain, to advance India’s aerial autonomy. Built on more than 15 years of vertical flight and UAV research, EndureAir designs and manufactures both hardware and software entirely in-house, supported by 8 patents in flight dynamics and autonomy. EndureAir is shaping the future of rugged, reliable, and proudly indigenous UAV systems for India and beyond.

About IAN Alpha Fund:

IAN Alpha Fund, a ₹1,000 crores (US$125 mn) SEBI-registered Category II AIF VC Fund, is the second fund in IAN Group’s series of funds. The Fund explores opportunities in diverse sectors such as healthtech, cleantech, deep tech, agritech, medtech, hardware and electronics, manufacturing, Web 3.0, Metaverse, Industry 4.0, SaaS, and other sectors where innovation is transformational. The Fund invests in innovative startups solving real problems for India and the world, with sustainable business models enabling scale by leveraging technology. With the IAN Alpha Fund, IAN Group continues its two-decade legacy of building a portfolio of technology-focused, innovative companies led by founders who not only understand customer needs but also have the leadership qualities to build large and valuable businesses.

Opportunities for Airline Startups in India !, Says Boeing India Prez, Citing Data

Salil Gupte, President of Boeing India, recently highlighted the potential for airline startups in India. He mentioned that India's growing economy and unique geography provide significant opportunities for new airlines to offer targeted services and products. Boeing has been actively supporting civil aviation customers in India and has placed nearly 600 aircraft orders from Indian airlines, including Air India, Akasa, and SpiceJet.

In an interview with ET Prime, Gupte talked about the India’s expanding aerospace presence, the competition with rival Airbus, and more. India's aviation market is one of the fastest-growing in the world, with a projected annual growth rate of around 9% over the next decade. The number of domestic air passengers in India has been steadily rising, reaching over 140 million in 2023.

"... look at one of the charts in our commercial market outlook (which sees Indian aviation to order around 2,550 commercial planes over the next two decades), you see only a small percentage of the overall market growth over the next 20 years. That small percentage alone would be the size of the largest airline in the US today. So, whenever somebody says that the Indian market is consolidated to two players and that there’s no room for startups, I hope that data proves that is absolutely untrue; that there will be opportunity for entrance into the Indian market over the next 10 to 20 years, that is very clear," said Salil Gupte.

In his role, Salil Gupte oversees Boeing's commercial, defense, and services businesses in the region. He leads a team of around 5,000 employees across various sites in India, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi.

Gupte has been instrumental in expanding Boeing's presence in India, supporting both Indian and global customers. Gupte has also been involved in significant defense projects, such as the delivery of C-17 cargo aircraft, P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, and Apache helicopters.

The Indian aviation market is highly competitive, with established players like IndiGo and Air India dominating the skies.

Gupte emphasized that the synergy between civil and defence aviation is extremely important in every single successful market. Citing markets of Japan, Singapore, Turkey and the likes,Gupte said that these countries leveraged the economies of scale of combining civil and defence aviation to grow. "They have not looked at them as separate individual markets, and that’s going to be very important for us.", Gupte said.

The Boeing India president also mentioned HAL and said that the government-owned aerospace and defense company is producing aerospace products like aircraft doors for the longest time for plane Makers.

Gupte also discussed the emergence of private sector players like Dynamatic, a Bengaluru based precision engineering company, Notably, Dynamatic recently announced that it is collaborating with Deutsche Aircraft to manufacture the rear fuselage of the D328eco, a 40-seat turboprop aircraft designed to enhance regional connectivity and sustainability. 

Airline Startups in India

There has been a surge in investment in aviation startups, with companies like Akasa Air and SpiceJet attracting significant funding. Further, the Indian government has been supportive of the aviation sector, with initiatives like the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme aimed at making air travel affordable and widespread.

Launched in 2022, Akasa Air is a low-cost carrier founded by former IndiGo executives. It aims to provide affordable and reliable air travel across India.

Although not a recent startup, SpiceJet has been a significant player in the Indian aviation market since its inception in 2005. It has successfully expanded its fleet and network over the years.

Airline startups in India face several challenges. Limited airport infrastructure and slot availability can restrict growth and operational efficiency. Regulatory hurdles is also big challenge as navigating the complex regulatory environment and obtaining necessary approvals can be time-consuming and challenging.

Despite these challenges, the potential for growth and innovation in the Indian aviation sector remains high.

IIT-Guwahati Students Develop Mobile App for Seamless, Contactless Air Travel

A group of IIT-Guwahati students has developed a mobile application for seamless and contactless air travel not only during the current pandemic but also during non-crisis situations.

The aim of the mobile app Flyzy, developed as per International Air Transport Association (IATA) guidelines, is to provide contactless boarding, keeping in mind the easier baggage drop, manageable parking, better shopping experience and providing necessary updates during the whole journey, IIT-Guwahati said in a release.

Developed by a group of three B Tech students -- Deepak Meena, Hansraj Patel and Arjit Singh -- under a startup, the app also has a smart UI (user interface) assistant that helps elderly people to use it easily. Other features of the application include real-time flight notifications, universal web check-in portal, check-in baggage status and map of the airport.



According to the release, the hybrid software will support face-biometric recognition in future, without even changing the complete software system of the airport and is secured as the app is hosted on the cloud.

Proper IATA and DGCA guidelines were followed in the development of the app, it said.

The mission of the startup, which has been recognised by the Startup India, is to build Flyzy as India's finest aviation IT technology company for providing a stress-free and safe journey to flyers, the release said.

The passengers can shop from the airport using the app and can make payment as well, besides they can either opt for the takeaway or gate delivery option. Flyzy also supports multi-currency payments.

For food ordering purposes, the app dynamically suggests the passenger the best option he/she could choose, based on the flight status. For instance, if the flight departs in one hour, the app will suggest to the passenger the food items that could be prepared within the available time, as per the release.

The idea is not only relevant during the present pandemic situation but also during the non-crisis time, the release said, adding the main idea behind the application is to provide a seamless journey to passengers as they move through the airport, especially to the first-time flyers.

The application will guide them thoroughly and provide them with an easy understanding and implementation of several airport functions, it said.

The founders believe that the application will help the aviation industry save money as the process will become automated, faster and easier.

The company provides an end-to-end service at a low infrastructure cost. The team is already in the process of talking to the authorities for implementing the application at some airports, IIT-Guwahati said.

Indian Startups in Aviation Sector to Pitch for Support at Singapore Airshow

Startups from India with innovative technologies in the aerospace, civil aviation and air services are expected to pitch for support to industry heavyweights such as Airbus and Boeing at the Singapore Air Show 2020 next month, the organisers said.

The Singapore Air Show would be organised from February 11-16 and will witness the participation of some 65 top aerospace and defence companies.

The show, which is being organised by Experia Events Pte Ltd, will also be joined by 1,000 industry exhibitors from 50 countries and 55,000 trade visitors from 150 countries.

"We all know that there is a lot of technologies that these companies hold. We are looking forward to see these startups during pitching sessions," said Leck Chet Lam, the managing director of Experia Events Pte Ltd during the pre-show press conference on Monday.

More than 60 startups from 10 countries, including India, are scheduled to make presentations on a wide range of domains during the show.

The presentations will cover sustainability, smart transport, automation, smart manufacturing, digital solutions, artificial intelligence and cyber security apart from other vital subjects.

"The startups are to pitch for investors and industry support from the global aviation industries, which would include chief executives of industry heavyweights such as Airbus and Boeing," said Leck.

"The Indians have been long-term participants as they value participating in the Singapore Air Show,” he added.

Also, planned along the show is the Singapore Airshow Aviation Leader Summit to be attended by more than 300 aviation experts.

The summit is to be held from February 9-10 and will be addressed by industry experts, including Ajay Singh, chief executive of SpiceJet, the organisers said. PTI GS

Orissa based Aerospace Tech Startup Tzar Raises Massive $15 Bn from Singapore's Dreamvision Overseas

Bhubaneswar, Orissa-based aerospace technology startup, Tzar Aerospace Research Labs, has raised whopping US$ 15 billion for 37% private equity from leading Singapore based company, Dreamvision Overseas, reported several media outlets including Outlook and The Week.

The size of funding of this amount is massive, we are trying to reach the startup to verify the details on our end.

Founded in 2016, by Priyam Mohanty, Tzar Aerospace designs and develops conceptual unmanned Hypersonic Research Aircraft with new computational approaches and methods. The startup aims to be a catalyst in the development, exploration, and commercialization of emerging aerospace markets by providing innovative, entrepreneurial aerospace solutions to commercial and civil customers.

The technical competencies of Tzar Aerospace include product/system development, aerospace system design, rapid prototyping and business analysis. The scientific approach of the organization is Systems of System based learning (SSBL) coupled with spatial reasoning.

Speaking on fund-raise, Mr. Priyam Mohanty, Founder of Tzar Aerospace said, "It’s a matter of tremendous pleasure and great pride for us that we have successfully marked our presence in the field of Aerospace market. Our startup has been very successful in establishing the trust among its clients and because of this trust recently we have raised $15 billion USD for 37% private equity from leading Singapore based companies, Dreamvision Overseas."

According to Registrar of Companies details, furnished by SGP Business, Dreamvision Overseas Pte. Ltd. is a exempt private company limited by Shares, incorporated on 23 January 2018 (Tuesday) in Singapore. The company, which has current operating status as live and has been operating for only 1 year 108 days. The Company's principal activity is wholesale trade of a variety of goods without a dominant product with other holding companies as the secondary activity.

Last month, Tzar Aerospace has also signed an MoU with Central Tool Room & Training Centre (CTTC), Bhubaneswar, to explore and execute technology development and finding best possible solutions by using the later's expertise of designing and manufacturing of high precision components and assemblies

NY based Aviation Startup BLADE Starting India Operation to Create Your Own Crowdsourced Flights

New York, U.S-based Blade, an aviation startup co-founded by former Sony and Warner Music Group executive Rob Wiesenthal and GroupMe co-founder Steve Martocci, is starting its operations in India in March 2019, with its maiden flight taking off between Mumbai and Pune.

Touted as "Uber-for-Helipcopters", BLADE is a digitally-powered aviation startup that allows users to create their own crowdsourced flights or purchase seats on pre-existing flights that are usually short distance.

BLADE is said to be setting up its India subsidiary called "Blade India" in a joint venture with a Delhi-based equity investment firm, Hunch Ventures. The joint venture has not yet settled on prices for its India service, but promises to price the flights significantly lower than private chartered jets.

Rob Wiesenthal, CEO of BLADE, told a business daily that that charter flights between Mahalaxmi and Shirdi currently costs around $8,000 but by using BLADE’s application, one can share the helicopter ride by booking a single seat. This will lead to cutting down the price and thus making these charter flights available for a cheaper rate.



BLADE will work on the asset-light model and thus, the company will not purchase flights but will tie-up with charter flight operators on a “contractual basis”.

In India, BLADE will essentially be the service aggregator which will provide services to those who wish to book a seat for the route. BLADE will use integrated technology in three formats -- The app, which will be available on Android and iOS, and An accounting dashboard, which will monitor the back-end work and a cockpit software.

BLADE is in the midst of getting permission from the Airports Authority of India and the Civil Aviation Ministry to set up BLADE lounges at all the start points of the routes. While BLADE is headquartered in Delhi, the company will start its operations in Mumbai due “security issues at Delhi” said Karanpal Singh, Founder of Hunch Ventures.

BLADE has roped in Amar Abrol, a former CEO and MD of AirAisa, to head the India operations and will be CEO of BALDE India unit.

“Initially, BLADE will operate three times a week or four times a week. The goal however after a couple of quarters is to cater to a larger audience and in multiple cities,” Abrol said.

Backed by prestigious American investors including Colony Northstar, Raine Ventures and David Zaslav, President & CEO of the TV channel Discovery, BLADE has raised a total of $44 million in funding over three rounds.

To take the services offered by BLADE, passengers have to download its app (available for both iOS or Android) , sign up for an account, and enter additional information such as a valid phone number and credit card details. When a passenger wants to fly, he or she opens the app and selects an existing flight to join at a time that works for them. If no times work for the passenger, he or she can crowdsource their own flight at a more convenient time; any remaining seats on a crowdsourced flight may then go on to be sold to other flyers through the digital community BLADE provides in-app.

In India BLADE would compete with Delhi-based JetSetGO, an India's first marketplace for private jets and helicopters backed by cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s startup fund YouWeCan Ventures. Touted as "Uber of Indian skies", JetSEtGO was founded in 2014 by Kanika Tekriwal and has recently acquired Indo Pacific Aviation Limited , the country’s oldest non-scheduled aircraft operator (NSOP).

[Images - Facebook.com/FlyBladeNow]

Source - Business Line