Hyderabad/Bengaluru, April 20 (Representative) Aereo (formerly Aarav Unmanned Systems) on Thursday announced it has received the first set of disbursements from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and drone components. MoCA has disbursed an amount of Rs. 30 crore to 12 beneficiaries for the fiscal year FY 2022-23. The PLI scheme for drones and drone components was announced in September 2021. Following that, a total of 23 drone companies were provisionally shortlisted in July 2022 for the incentives under this scheme. However, after due diligence by the government, only 6 drone manufacturers and 6 drone component manufacturers received the first incentives from the Aviation Ministry in April this year, the company said in a release. Aereo, is one of 6 drone manufacturers to receive the incentive under the PLI scheme and is one of the largest drone solutions companies in the commercial drone market in India with a strong presence in mining, urban and rural development, land survey, and construction sectors.
It has built advanced Intellectual Properties (IPs) over the past decade and filed around 15 patents. Additionally, it was the first company to develop a DGCA-certified survey-grade PPK drone in India. Aereo has mapped over 40,000 villages under the SVAMITVA scheme of GOI and close to 25,000 square kilometres in the state of Haryana under large scale mapping. After receiving the incentive, Vipul Singh, Co-founder, CEO, Aereo, said, “The first PLI disbursement marks a milestone for indigenous drone technology in India. The PLI incentive will enable Aereo to expand its operations across and beyond the nation, and also accelerate indigenous R&D in the country”.