Drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), have emerged from being entertaining and video-recording flying objects to sophisticated aerial vehicles that are helping the armed forces, farmers, and numerous other industries like mining, surveillance, railways, and others. Drones are disrupting traditional systems by bringing in automation in crucial tasks that have conventionally required a lot of workforces.
Amidst this revolution, knowing the best type of drone for your business is a challenge for many. Having knowledge about the most common types of drones in India and drones manufactured in India helps manufacturers and end users make better decisions. This blog covers almost all the major different types of drones. To start with, primary differentiation in structure categorizes drones as:
Different Types of Drones:
Single-Rotor Drones
This variety of drones is made using just one rotor along with a rotor on the tail that is used to give direction to the drone. Along with being recognized as one of the most basic drones, this category is also one of the strongest and most durable ones. Single-rotor drones look like a helicopter and are preferred for long flights.
Multi-Rotor Drones
The next category of drones is made using more than one rotor, mostly 3, 4, 6, and 8 rotors. Multi-rotor drones are among the most famous ones and are preferred for their stability. They, however, cannot carry heavy loads or travel long distances relatively. A lot of drone manufacturing companies in India are producing this type.
Fixed-Wing Drones
This category looks more like an aeroplane and is made with a fixed wing, meaning it cannot travel and stay in a vertical position like multi-rotor drones. Fixed-wing drones can travel longer distances, carry more weight, and fly at higher altitudes than most other categories.
Hybrid Drones
A hybrid of the above categories, is also manufactured in which additional rotors are added to fixed-wing drones to allow them to perform vertical flight and reduce limitations of flight directions.
Categorisation Based on Size
Nano and small size
This category of drones can be held in your hands and is usually made for recreational purposes.
Medium-sized drones
Medium-sized drones are usually longer than 4 ft. and cannot be easily carried by one person. They have numerous use cases like surveillance, farming activities, and others.
Large-sized drones
This category is formed by large-sized drones comparable to the size of a small aircraft and is usually used by the armed forces.
Categorization based on the use case
Drones are used for numerous use cases, and the most common ones include:
- Drones for mining
- Photography drones
- Racing drones
- Large combat drones
- GPS drones
- Decoy drones
- Drones for surveillance
- Drones for mapping
- Agriculture drones
- Delivery drones
- Weather monitoring drones
- Drones for traffic monitoring
- Reconnaissance Drones
Drone companies in India and a special feature: Droni, inspired by Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Numerous startups and drone manufacturing companies in India are working on different types of drones, as mentioned above. Some examples are:
- Paras Aerospace Private Limited with a range of UAVs for military, industrial, and agricultural purposes
- ideaForge Technology Pvt. Ltd. with drones for mapping, surveys, security, and other applications
- Garuda Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. – The company that had launched “Droni”, a quadcopter consumer camera drone named after its brand ambassador, Mahendra Singh Dhoni
- Asteria Aerospace Limited with solutions for defence, agriculture, construction, mining, and others
Karkhana.io’s quick and fast manufacturing Company of drones
Finding a reliable and experienced manufacturer for a specific type of drone is a challenge for most drone companies in India, mainly because the industry is currently in its nascent stages.
Karkhana.io is solving this challenge with its digital manufacturing platform by providing effortless prototyping and fast manufacturing without drone companies having to micro-manage each manufacturing step.
We take care of every manufacturing step after you have uploaded the CAD designs of the part to be manufactured, starting from quick design validation, manufacturability feedback via our expert in-house engineers, project management, transparent pricing, quality checks and logistics. The process also includes regular quality checks, audits of suppliers, order updates and more.
Also, with the rise of top electronics companies in India, innovation in drone technology has accelerated, providing better hardware, sensors, and AI-driven software for drone development. Understanding how many types of drone in India exist today is key for businesses looking to leverage UAV technology effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1. How many types of drone in India are commonly available?
In India, drones are broadly categorized into single-rotor, multi-rotor, fixed-wing, and hybrid drones, with further classifications based on size and use case.
Q2. Which are the most popular types of drones in India for commercial use?
Multi-rotor drones and fixed-wing drones are among the most popular for agriculture, surveillance, and delivery applications.
Q3. Who are the leading drone manufacturing companies in India?
Some key names include ideaForge, Garuda Aerospace, Paras Aerospace, and Asteria Aerospace, all of which are actively developing drones for various industries.
Q4. How are drones manufactured in India contributing to innovation?
Drones manufactured in India are helping industries like defence, agriculture, mining, and logistics with automation, surveillance, and faster operations, reducing human effort significantly.
Q5. What role do top electronics companies in India play in drone development?
Top electronics companies in India supply advanced sensors, chips, and communication systems that make drones smarter, more efficient, and reliable.