Drogo Aerospace’s indigenous JK 250e drone secures DGCA certification

Hyderabad: Hyderabad-based Drogo Aerospace secured Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) type certification for its indigenous JK 250e fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone on October 15, marking a milestone for the company’s military surveillance and reconnaissance platform.

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Designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, the JK 250e combines fixed-wing flight efficiency with vertical take-off and landing, allowing operations without conventional runways. The company said that the UAV offers an endurance of two to three hours, supporting sustained surveillance and battlefield situational awareness in challenging terrain.

The platform has already been delivered to the Indian Army. In June, Drogo Aerospace announced the delivery of an initial batch of 41 drones under a ₹72-crore contract covering 217 UAVs. The order highlighted the growing role of Indian private-sector manufacturers in supplying unmanned systems for military requirements.

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The latest certification is specifically for training purposes and is expected to support UAV operator training and domestic drone-training capabilities. Drogo Aerospace chief Yeshwanth Bonthu said that the JK 250e is the only UAV in India with a hybrid fixed-wing and multirotor configuration to receive DGCA type certification for training.

The development came as India seeks to expand indigenous drone manufacturing and strengthen its domestic ecosystem for military unmanned systems. While the certification marks regulatory progress, it does not by itself indicate a new defence procurement order.

(Defence Watch– India’s Defence News centre that places the spotlight on Defence Manufacturing, Defence Technology, Strategy and Military affairs is on Twitter. Follow us here and stay updated.)