Besides the order involving supply of 200 medium altitude logistics drones and accessories to the Army, the Coromandel International subsidiary has bagged a 400-drone contract from IFFCO

Fertiliser maker Coromandel International’s subsidiary Dhaksha Unmanned Systems, which manufactures drones, has bagged an order to supply 200 medium altitude logistics drones and accessories to the Indian Army.

The firm also bagged a contract from Agri inputs cooperative IFFCO recently for supply of 400 Agri-spraying drones. These are planned to be delivered over the course of the next 12 months, Coromandel said on Monday. Dhaksha’s orders in the current year, including those from the Army and IFFCO, have exceeded ₹165 crore and the company also has a strong order pipeline, it said in a release.

Coromandel has 51% stake in the drone manufacturer. “The defence contract validates Dhaksha’s technology capability and its potential to capture opportunities in unmanned aerial systems space. It enables entry of Coromandel and Murugappa Group into Indian defence sector supplies,” said Arun Alagappan, executive vice chairman of Coromandel International. Chennai-based Dhaksha has a technology collaboration with Anna University and is the only player in the country to receive type certificates from DGCA for three drone models in medium and small categories for agriculture and surveillance applications.

“We are honoured to be selected by the Indian Army... this is a major milestone and a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team,” Dhaksha CEO Ramanathan Narayanan said.