New Delhi: Indian drone tech firm ideaForge signed a strategic MoU with Japanese firm Digital Media Professionals Inc. (DMP) Wednesday, in a bid to expand its global footprint and develop next generation AI powered drones.
Under the new partnership, ideaForge will integrate DMP’s Di1 system-on-chip into its drone platforms, enabling enhanced autonomous performance through real-time data processing and advanced visual sensing.
The chip is designed to support multiple camera inputs and high-efficiency computing, allowing drones to operate more independently in complex or hazardous environments.
DMP, for its part, will serve as ideaForge’s go-to-market partner in Japan, overseeing distribution, customer engagement, training and after-sales support.
The collaboration comes as the global drone industry is projected to grow rapidly over the next decade, with increasing emphasis on edge AI technologies that enable autonomous decision-making without reliance on remote computing systems.
The Indian tech firm already maintains a presence in the United States through a joint venture focused on manufacturing and distribution. By pairing Indian drone engineering with Japanese semiconductor expertise, the two firms aim to develop more advanced autonomous systems tailored to both defence and commercial use.
India’s reliance on foreign drones is steadily giving way to a rapidly growing indigenous industry, with more than 600 companies now producing unmanned systems and counter-drone technologies as of 2025.
This shift has been fuelled in part by government incentives, including the Production-Linked Incentive scheme and a $234 million funding push announced after heightened tensions with Pakistan underscored the risks of import dependence.
Private firms are also driving innovation. This is where companies like ideaForge come in to produce a range of systems, from long-endurance surveillance drones to autonomous swarms capable of coordinated attacks.
In 2025, the firm supplied the Switch and Netra-class drones to Indian defence forces in huge numbers, which were then deployed during Operation Sindoor, according to Ankit Mehta, co-founder and CEO of ideaForge.
‘This collaboration aligns perfectly with our broader strategy to develop high-performance, customizable AI for defence autonomy drones that efficiently address diverse global market needs—from defence surveillance and border security to industrial infrastructure inspection and precision agriculture,” Mehta was quoted as saying during the signing.
(Edited by Niyati Kothiyal)
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