India’s drone ecosystem is witnessing rapid acceleration, powered by progressive policy support, rising defence and agriculture use cases, and a strong push for indigenous manufacturing. At the forefront of this aerial revolution are visionary women entrepreneurs who are not only breaking barriers in deep-tech but also building globally competitive drone companies from India.
From swarm intelligence and VTOL platforms to rural Drone-as-a-Service models, these leaders are reshaping how India designs, manufactures, and deploys unmanned aerial systems. As the country marches toward its ambition of becoming a global drone hub, women founders are playing a decisive role in driving innovation, inclusion, and self-reliance.
Here are five exceptional women entrepreneurs steering India’s drone manufacturing momentum:
1. Dr. Preet Sandhu, Founder & Promoter of AVPL International, Startup Stairs, and iQuantara
Dr. Preet Sandhu has emerged as one of the most influential leaders advancing India’s indigenous drone manufacturing and rural drone entrepreneurship ecosystem. As the Founder and Promoter of AVPL International, Startup Stairs, and iQuantara, she has built an integrated model that combines drone manufacturing, skill development, and last-mile deployment.
Her entrepreneurial journey began at a time when women founders, particularly those from non-business backgrounds, faced significant acceptance barriers. With limited early support and mentorship, she relied heavily on persistence, continuous learning, and institutional discipline to build and scale her ventures. Over time, as the organization matured, she focused strongly on creating structured systems and professional processes within the company.
Under her leadership, AVPL International has evolved into a DGCA-approved Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO) and a key player in agriculture and defence drone solutions. She remains deeply committed to advancing indigenous capabilities in drones, AI-driven technologies, and defence innovation, contributing strategically to nation-building through technology. A defining aspect of her strategy has been the emphasis on Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS) and rural livelihood creation, enabling large numbers of youth and farmers to participate in the drone economy.
At the core of her mission is a clear and measurable vision – to create one entrepreneur for every five panchayats across India, driving structured rural economic transformation through technology-led opportunities.
As the organization scaled, she recognized the importance of structured mentorship – something she believes could have dramatically accelerated her journey.
Aligned with the Government of India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, Dr. Sandhu continues to champion indigenous design, large-scale skilling, and cooperative-led drone adoption, positioning AVPL as a catalyst for grassroots drone penetration across the country.
2. Dhanashree Mandhani, Founder of Salam Kisan
Dhanashree Mandhani is playing a significant role in integrating drone technology into India’s agricultural ecosystem through her venture Salam Kisan. As Founder, she has been focused on enabling precision farming and improving farm productivity by leveraging advanced agri-drone solutions and data-driven advisory.
Salam Kisan has positioned itself at the intersection of agriculture services, drone deployment, and farmer empowerment, working to make modern aerial technologies accessible to the farming community. Under Mandhani’s leadership, the company has emphasized practical, field-level adoption of drones – particularly for crop monitoring, spraying, and farm analytics.
Her work reflects a strong shift toward outcome-driven agri-drone implementation in India, where the real impact lies not just in manufacturing but in scalable on-ground deployment. By bridging the gap between technology providers and farmers, Dhanashree is contributing to the mainstreaming of drone-led precision agriculture in India’s rural economy.
3. Anugraha Ganesan, Co-Founder of Yali Aerospace
Anugraha Ganesan is an emerging drone entrepreneur building high-impact aerial solutions from Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. As Co-Founder of Yali Aerospace, she is focused on developing fixed-wing VTOL drones designed for medical logistics, surveillance, and disaster response.
After over a decade of experience in Europe’s UAV ecosystem, she returned to India to build indigenous drone technology tailored to real-world operational challenges. Her platforms are designed for long-range delivery of critical supplies, positioning Yali Aerospace strongly in the medical and emergency logistics segment.
Anugraha’s journey reflects the growing shift of deep-tech innovation beyond metro hubs and highlights the importance of building globally competitive drone products from regional India.
4. Deepika Reddy, Director at Dhaksha Unmanned Systems
Deepika Reddy is a key leader at Dhaksha Unmanned Systems, a fast-growing Indian drone manufacturer focused on agricultural and defence UAV platforms. The company is known for developing heavy-payload agricultural drones and surveillance systems optimized for Indian operating conditions.
Under her strategic leadership, Dhaksha has expanded its manufacturing footprint and strengthened its position in precision agriculture and industrial drone deployment. Her work underscores the increasing role of women leaders in defence-linked and industrial deep-tech manufacturing.
Deepika continues to drive Dhaksha’s mission of delivering scalable, indigenous unmanned systems for domestic and global markets.
5. Dr. Sarita Ahlawat, Co-Founder & Managing Director of BotLab Dynamics
Dr. Sarita Ahlawat is a prominent deep-tech entrepreneur advancing India’s capabilities in autonomous drone swarms and aerial intelligence. As Co-Founder and Managing Director of BotLab Dynamics, an IIT Delhi-incubated startup, she is helping build advanced unmanned systems for defence and commercial applications.
BotLab Dynamics has gained national visibility for its autonomous drone swarm technology and large-scale drone light show capabilities, demonstrating strong in-house hardware and autonomy expertise. The company’s focus on indigenous electronics and coordinated swarm intelligence supports India’s push toward self-reliant UAV innovation.
With ongoing work in nano drones, AI-enabled autonomy, and defence applications, Dr. Ahlawat is positioning BotLab as a significant player in India’s aerial robotics ecosystem.
India’s drone manufacturing story is rapidly evolving from assembly-led growth to deep indigenous innovation.
As policy momentum, capital inflow, and commercial adoption accelerate, these leaders are not just participating in India’s drone boom – they are actively architecting its future.
