How This Startup Plans To Dominate International Skies With GPS-Defying Drones

by · Inc42

SUMMARY

  • Founded in 2018, Vecros Drones is building everything in-house — from drones that defy GPS to printed circuit boards, a battery management system and software compatible with the entire stack
  • The startup is also building a drone dock where drones can fly in, recharge, and fly back. By 2026, Vecros has plans to set foot in the US and raise around $2 Mn
  • So far, the startup has raised around INR 4.5 Cr in total funding from Rebalance, OTP Venture Partners, and angel investors, including boAT’s Aman Gupta in Shark Tank. It has 10 technology patents under its belt
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If you are a drone enthusiast, you might wonder whether drones can fly without GPS. The answer to this is simple — yes, they can. Using advanced cameras equipped with visual sensors, it is possible to fly drones seamlessly without GPS. 

But, do we really need such a tech? Well, the answer to this, too, is affirmative, as drone users often face communication challenges, especially in the case of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). 

While GPS-enabled drones are prone to losing control and facing attacks (either due to unfavourable weather conditions or signal jammers), posing a threat to any mission, drones without GPS solve this problem.

At a time when GPS-enabled drones are in use worldwide, there has been an increased focus on building drones with powerful visual sensors and AI-enabled software that can travel with little hiccoughs and as efficiently as other drones. 

In 2018, Besta Prem Sai, an IIT Delhi alumnus, started researching to find an alternative to GPS drones. Today, Sai is the cofounder and CEO of Vecros Drones, a drone tech startup building non-GPS autonomous drones or GPS-denied drones. The startup is also making printed circuit boards (PCBs) for these drones.

The global drone market opportunity is expected to grow at a CAGR of 25% to surpass $166 Bn by 2031, and Vecros is focussed on making superior hardware and software from India for the world. 

However, while the market opportunity is immense, the ethical concerns cannot be ignored — especially when the defence application of drones is on the rise.

Besides, global military powers are finding ways to deploy these vehicles in GPS-denied areas to wage war. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is a noteworthy example.