New Delhi: Two Indian private firms have come together offering the Indian military the unique capability to assemble drones in forward locations on their own, allowing it to scale up during operations.
Zuppa, a leading deep-tech company specialising in drone technology and advanced sensor systems, and Divide by Zero Technologies (DBZ), India’s foremost industrial 3D printer manufacturer, have announced a strategic collaboration to develop mobile rapid fabrication units.
These are deployable containerised systems capable of 3D printing and assembling drones directly at the frontlines.
This initiative represents a marked shift in defence manufacturing agility, enabling on-site drone fabrication, repair, and mission-specific customisation within hours—reducing reliance on centralised production and logistics chains, the two firms said in a statement.
Company sources explained to ThePrint that the idea originated while working with the Indian army, which runs multiple Corps group workshops hemmed by the Corps of Engineers who repair and work on drones.
It is estimated that in case of a full-fledged conflict, each Corps would need about 1,500-2,000 drones of various kinds, including Kamikaze and surveillance, per day to meet operational temp and replace those used or shot down.
“Hence depending on a full-fledged drone manufacturer is not ideal. Our technology now allows the Army to 3D print the fuselage, chassis, wings and integrate them with already procured components like motors, autopilot, camera, electronics and other payload depending on the operational need,” the source explained.
Sources explained that over the next 2-3 years, the military will increasingly look at assembling small and medium types of Kamikaze and surveillance drones on their own, while Indian companies will focus on manufacturing the other components which make the drone fly.
Sources explained that Zuppa, which has so far delivered over 600 drones of various kinds to the Indian military, sees itself as an Intel in the drone sector and prefers to focus on indigenous technology and components.
Bringing the factory to the frontline
The Rapid Fabrication Container Units will integrate Divide By Zero’s industrial-grade additive manufacturing systems with Zuppa’s autonomous drone platforms and AI-driven mission control software.
Together, these technologies will allow field units to fabricate structural components, assemble mission-ready drones, and deploy them in real time for surveillance, logistics, or tactical operations—even in remote or high-risk environments, the statement from the firms said.
“This collaboration is a major step toward Atmanirbhar Bharat in frontline technology,” said Venkatesh Sai, Co-Founder and Technical Director at Zuppa. “By enabling rapid, on-demand drone manufacturing right at the field, we’re giving defence forces unprecedented autonomy and adaptability.”
Swapnil Sansare, founder and CEO of Divide By Zero Technologies said his company always believed that the future of manufacturing lies in mobility, speed, and autonomy.
“Our partnership with Zuppa transforms this belief into a tangible solution—bringing high-speed 3D printing from the factory floor to the battlefield.”
Sources explained that the user will be able to 3D print any kind of drones that they want and not limit itself to those manufactured by Zuppa.
Incidentally, similar innovations have recently gained traction globally, such as Firestorm Labs’ deployable drone manufacturing units in the US.
Once operational, the Zuppa–DBZ mobile fabrication units are expected to revolutionise the way unmanned aerial systems are produced, maintained, and mobilised across conflict zones and disaster-response operations.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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