Drone Startup EndureAir Raises ₹25 Crore in Funding Led by IAN Alpha Fund

EndureAir Systems, a deep-tech startup specialising in aerial robotic solutions, has secured ₹25 crore from the IAN Alpha Fund and the IAN Angel Fund. 

The funding will enhance its drone capabilities for defence applications, aid expansion into enterprise markets and further develop high-altitude logistics and aerial robotics platforms, the startup said in a press release. 

Sarika Saxena, managing partner at IAN Alpha Fund, said, “EndureAir embodies the very

best of India’s deep-tech potential. By transforming cutting-edge research into powerful,

indigenous solutions, EndureAir is meeting critical needs in defence, enterprise and disaster

response.” 

Founded in 2018 by Abhishek, a professor at IIT Kanpur, with his former students Rama Krishna and Chirag Jain, EndureAir has emerged as a pioneer in India’s indigenous UAV sector. The company develops both hardware and software in-house, leveraging over 15 years of rotorcraft research and holding eight patents.

EndureAir’s flagship platforms are currently in active deployment. The Sabal family of heavy-lift logistics UAVs, capable of carrying payloads ranging from 10 to 70 kg, has demonstrated successful high-altitude performance. The Sabal UAV, with a payload capacity of 20 kg, has already been inducted into the Indian Army’s Eastern Command. 

The Vibhram UAV, known for its long endurance, has played a critical role in Telangana’s Medicine from the Sky programme by delivering vaccines to remote areas, the firm stated. 

Meanwhile, the Alakh series of nano-UAVs has been instrumental in high-stakes rescue operations, including the Chamoli cloudburst response, the Silkyara tunnel rescue and earthquake relief efforts in Turkey.

Moreover, EndureAir is collaborating with Bharat Electronics Limited to co-develop high-altitude logistics drones. The company is also partnering with Druk Holding and Investments in Bhutan to conduct pilot logistics missions to remote monasteries.

Krishna, co-founder and CEO at EndureAir, said, “By creating solutions that benefit the Indian armed forces as well as transform how businesses use aerial mobility/logistics, we hope to position India as a global leader in UAV innovation.”