The Technology Development Board, operating under the ministry of science and technology, has finalized an agreement with Mumbai-based firm ideaForge Technology Limited to provide ₹151 crore in financial backing. The funding is designated for the development of YETI, a heavy-lift autonomous aerial logistics vehicle engineered to haul cargo weighing up to 200 kilograms across a targeted range of 200 kilometres.
Carrying an overall estimated project cost of ₹302 crore, the initiative receives its support via debt financing through the government Research Development and Innovation Fund. The core objective is to elevate the domestic platform from Technology Readiness Level-4 to Technology Readiness Level-9, which represents the phase of demonstration in actual operational environments and preparedness for deployment, pending required clearances.
TDB secretary Rajesh Kumar Pathak noted that pioneering autonomous systems are unlocking new avenues to tackle intricate operational and logistical hurdles. He emphasized that home-grown heavy-lift aerial vehicles are instrumental in enhancing access to isolated and challenging terrains, while highlighting that the RDI Fund backs technology-heavy initiatives demanding continuous capital to bridge advanced development and practical deployment. He added that the collaboration underscores national commitments to bolstering competencies in autonomous machinery, robotics, and advanced aerospace engineering.
YETI is engineered as a hybrid unmanned aerial vehicle blending vertical take-off and landing functions with a fixed-wing layout suited for extended flights. The craft is structured to resolve transport bottlenecks in hard-to-reach areas burdened by poor road infrastructure, difficult topography, or adverse weather.
Project guidelines indicate the aircraft will function at altitudes reaching up to 6,500 metres above mean sea level. Its weather-proof construction is tailored for harsh zones such as high-altitude environments, deserts, and maritime spaces. Notable attributes include the capacity to launch and land on compact, unpaved spaces roughly 15 by 15 metres wide, alongside a distributed and redundant propulsion framework, navigation systems resilient against global navigation satellite system signal loss, and communication range extending to 200 kilometres.
Furthermore, the aircraft is planned to accommodate swarm maneuvers and containerized mobility, allowing swift relocation and assembly across rugged landscapes. The state-backed program will bankroll subsequent engineering, system integration, testing, and validation phases as ideaForge drives toward its specified readiness goals within the deep technology and intelligent robotics sub-sector.
Ankit Mehta, chief executive and co-founder of ideaForge, explained that YETI is built to assist military forces and supply chains in delivering cargo past the limits of roadways and severe weather conditions. The enterprise viewed the state backing as an acknowledgment of domestic deep-tech firms expanding strategic national infrastructure. Ultimate operational success remains subject to rigorous testing, validation, and adherence to relevant technical, safety, and regulatory guidelines.