ideaForge, a Mumbai-based drone startup, announced that its SWITCH Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle (UAV) has received Type Certification from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The certification allows the military-grade drone to be deployed in civil, paramilitary, police, and enterprise applications. The SWITCH UAV, which has already been in use by defence forces in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations, is now cleared for wider use under India’s Drone Rules 2021.
The platform is designed for surveillance, mapping, inspection, and security operations across sectors, including infrastructure monitoring, mining, environmental studies, policing, and disaster response.
Expanding Beyond Defence
The drone had earlier earned the ‘Fit for Indian Military Use’ certification from the Directorate General of Quality Assurance and was also assigned a NATO Stock Number. These recognitions made it eligible for procurement by NATO and allied agencies.
With the DGCA approval, its advanced hybrid vertical take-off and landing capability will now support extended missions in challenging terrains and at night.
Rahul Singh, VP of engineering and co-founder at ideaForge, said, “We are proud that our SWITCH UAV has been granted DGCA Type Certification. This achievement underscores our commitment to developing world-class UAVs that are safe, reliable, and future-ready.”
He added that the certification will enable enterprises and government agencies to adopt indigenous drone technology while boosting the civil drone ecosystem.
This certification adds to ideaForge’s portfolio of DGCA-certified drones, making it one of the few Indian manufacturers with multiple approved platforms. The company operates R&D and manufacturing hubs in India and the United States.
The company has even partnered with Resonia for drones in the power sector and with US-based Vantage Robotics to broaden its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) solution offerings.
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