Indian drone avionics startup ZeroDrag has raised Rs 6.5 crore (about $680,000) in a seed funding round led by Transition VC, as the startup looks to expand manufacturing and develop next-generation UAV electronics. It will use the funding to strengthen research and development, improve testing and quality infrastructure, stabilise supply chains, and scale production for Indian and international markets.

“We're not building drones. We're building what every drone needs,” said Shantanu Bhede, co-founder and CEO of ZeroDrag Technologies.

“If the Indian UAV industry is going to scale, it needs an avionics layer it can actually rely on, and that layer has to come from India,” he added.

ZeroDrag had previously raised Rs 1.2 crore in a pre-seed funding round in 2023 from Enrission India Capital and angel investors. It has also received support through government-backed initiatives including Startup India, NIDHI and programmes supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Over the next two years, it plans to expand its engineering team, increase product availability and broaden its portfolio into enterprise-grade UAV hardware, including systems for heavy-lift drones and future electric vertical take-off and landing platforms.

About ZeroDrag

ZeroDrag has been founded in 2022 by Amit Nimje and Shantanu Bhede. ZeroDrag develops avionics and sub-components for drones, including autopilots, motor controllers, GNSS modules, telemetry systems and payload integration hardware. The startup focuses on supplying indigenous electronics to drone manufacturers operating across defence, agriculture, logistics and industrial sectors. Its products are designed to work across different drone platforms and applications.