The Technology Development Board (TDB) has signed an agreement with Mumbai-based ideaForge Technology Limited to provide ₹151 crore in debt financing for the development of YETI, an indigenous heavy-lift autonomous aerial logistics vehicle.
The support, under the Research Development and Innovation Fund, forms part of a ₹302-crore project aimed at advancing the platform from Technology Readiness Level 4 to TRL-9 through engineering, integration, testing and validation.
YETI is being developed as a hybrid vertical take-off and landing, fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle capable of carrying payloads of up to 200 kg. Its targeted range is up to 200 km, with an operating altitude of up to 6,500 metres above mean sea level.
The platform is intended to transport supplies in locations where conventional movement is difficult, time-consuming or operationally constrained. Its weather-resistant design aims to support operations in high-altitude regions, deserts and marine environments.
Combining vertical take-off and landing with fixed-wing flight, YETI is designed to operate from relatively small, unprepared landing areas measuring approximately 15 metres by 15 metres. This would allow deployment in places with limited ground infrastructure.
The proposed system includes distributed and redundant propulsion and power architecture to improve fault tolerance. Other planned capabilities include navigation without Global Navigation Satellite System signals, a communication link of up to 200 km, swarm operations and containerised transportation for rapid deployment.
The programme will support further development towards TRL-9, subject to applicable technical, safety and regulatory requirements. It falls within the deep-technology sector, under intelligent systems and robotics, integrating aerospace engineering, propulsion, navigation, communications and intelligent control.
TDB Secretary Rajesh Kumar Pathak said indigenous heavy-lift aerial platforms could improve access to remote and difficult-to-reach locations.
“Through the RDI Fund, TDB is supporting technology-intensive projects that require sustained investment to progress from advanced development towards deployment,” he said.
The agreement reflected the board’s commitment to strengthening India’s capabilities in autonomous systems, robotics and next-generation aerospace technologies, Pathak added.
IdeaForge’s CEO and co-founder described YETI as a significant step in India’s autonomous technology capabilities, designed to address the challenges faced by Armed Forces and logistics networks in areas beyond road access and under difficult weather conditions.
The company said the platform was being engineered for reliable, repeatable delivery in demanding operational environments.
