The drone has a weather-resistant, shock-absorbent design and is capable of speeds of up to 15 metres per second, allowing it to cover large areas quickly
Hyderabad-based Marut Drones has received type certification from India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), for its latest surveillance drone, the Skyswift 56. The company is the first in the country to hold dual certification for drone training and manufacturing.
The Skyswift 56 is a quadcopter-class rotorcraft in the small category, designed for surveillance, high-precision mapping and field training. It supports multiple payloads, including a first-person view (FPV) camera, a 24MP mapping camera with post-processed kinematics (PPK), a 4K surveillance camera and thermal imaging.
Marut Drones said the system could be particularly useful for law enforcement, helping to cut response times, reduce costs and improve the detection of illegal activity. “By lowering crime rates and increasing community confidence, it can create a conducive environment for businesses and public events,” the company said in a statement.
Prem Kumar Vislawath, the company’s chief executive, said the launch came at a time when national security concerns were driving investment in tactical drone surveillance. “Developed in house, Skyswift 56 is built to empower frontline personnel with silent, compact, and high-precision drone surveillance tools,” he said. The system, designed for covert reconnaissance, patrolling and public safety missions, is equipped for low-visibility operations and can be deployed in under two minutes.
The drone has a weather-resistant, shock-absorbent design and is capable of speeds of up to 15 metres per second, allowing it to cover large areas quickly. Its compact design allows the entire system to fit into a rugged backpack, making it suitable for rapid deployment in field operations.
India’s drone market is forecast to grow sharply from USD 145m in 2024 to more than USD 630m by 2030. The country’s drone economy, currently valued at USD 150m, faces a shortage of skilled operators. With more than 100,000 drones already in use, the figure is expected to rise to one million by 2027.