In an exclusive conversation, Sai Pattabiram, Founder & Managing Director of Zuppa, shares his views on policy challenges, scaling issues, and the company’s plans for fundraising and a future IPO, while building indigenous drone autopilot technology.
Chennai-based Zuppa Geo Navigation Technologies has been working in the drone space for over a decade, starting with collaborations with National Aerospace Laboratories and Defence Research and Development Organisation. The company initially focused on integrating imported autopilot systems into drones.
Over time, it shifted focus to developing its own core technology, autopilot motherboard, which acts as the ‘brain’ of a drone. The patent for this system, filed in 2015, was granted in 2024 after years of development, placing Zuppa among a small group of global players working on such proprietary architectures.
The move also came from a clear market gap, as India was illegally importing thousands of drones annually, mainly from players like DJI.
Policy Gaps and Market Reality
Speaking on the ecosystem, Pattabiram pointed out that India is seeing a lot of innovation but there is limited support to scale it.
He noted that even after developing patented technology, there is no structured system to take such innovations to large-scale deployment. At the same time, imported products continue to dominate, creating tough competition for Indian companies which hold Indian IP rights.
He also highlighted that lack of trust in Indian deep-tech solutions has slowed adoption, especially in defence-related use cases.
Scaling Demand and Manufacturing Push
Zuppa currently manufactures around 300 drones per month from its Chennai facility. However, the global demand is rising in defence where drones are now used in large numbers. Due to this, the company is planning to scale production significantly.
The focus is on moving from hundreds to thousands of units annually, using EMS (electronics manufacturing services) for scaling key components like autopilots and electronics systems.
Fundraising and IPO Plans
On the financial side, Zuppa is entering a growth phase. The company is currently raising around ₹500 million in a pre-Series A round, followed by a planned ₹2 billion Series A round within the next year.
These funds will be used to expand the engineering team, build capabilities in critical areas like wireless communication and electro-optics, and strengthen its position in defence and government markets.
Looking ahead, the company is also considering an IPO, but only after achieving stable and consistent revenue over time.
What Lies Ahead
With increasing global demand for non-Chinese drone solutions and growing focus on indigenous defence technology, Zuppa is positioning itself as a key player in this space. The company is also exploring international opportunities through partnerships and local manufacturing strategies.
The detailed Q&A from this exclusive conversation will be available on EFY’s YouTube channel.
