DRDO's Proof and Experimental Establishment orders Bhopal-based IZI's VANA surveillance drones

According to a company announcement carried as sponsored VMPL content by Business Standard, Bhopal-based drone maker IZI has received an order from the Proof & Experimental Establishment (PXE) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to supply and deploy its VANA surveillance drones. The company announced the order on 2 November 2026.

PXE is DRDO's long-established range at Chandipur, Odisha, where weapons and munitions are proof-tested. The VANA drones are expected to support aerial photogrammetry, precision mapping, terrain and ground-feature data collection, surveillance and aerial observation, the kind of work a large test range needs every day.

What the order covers

IZI has not disclosed the contract value, the number of drones or the delivery schedule. Reports say that, under the order, IZI will provide two DGCA-certified pilots during the first year of operations. The order therefore covers supply plus a supported deployment, not just hardware.

Founder Ishan Haydn called the order an important milestone for the company.

The VANA platform

IZI describes VANA as a modular UAV platform for civil, industrial and defence missions, with variants for mining, railway inspection, policing and forestry. The official platform page currently lists configurable endurance of 30–90 minutes, a range of up to 25 km and field readiness in under five minutes. These are company specifications across configurations, not verified performance of the PXE order. The order announcement confirms RGB/EO-IR sensing, GNSS, a ground-control station, waypoint missions and live data transmission; it does not establish the delivered configuration’s flight endurance.

Why mapping drones matter at a test range

Accurate, up-to-date maps of a test range help with planning trials and setting safety zones. Traditionally this has meant manned surveys or costly satellite tasking. Small drones with photogrammetry payloads can resurvey an area within hours and produce high-resolution terrain models. The same aircraft can then switch to thermal or electro-optical payloads to watch a perimeter. A modular design that does both jobs is the kind of tool a range like PXE can use every day.

Why a DRDO range order matters

A single order from a DRDO test establishment is small compared with a service-wide procurement. For a young drone company, though, it is significant. Supplying a government defence laboratory means meeting its operational and documentation requirements and working inside a sensitive facility. Each of these counts as a reference when the company bids for larger contracts with the Army, paramilitary forces or state agencies.

Bhopal on the drone map

IZI shows that India's drone industry is spreading beyond its usual centres. A Bhopal company supplying a DRDO range in Odisha suggests that capability is spreading geographically, and that defence buyers are willing to look beyond the big cities for qualified suppliers.

The next step for IZI is to turn this deployment into repeat orders and larger contracts. Its mining, railway and policing variants give it civilian markets that can support revenue between defence buys.

Sources

• https://www.business-standard.com/amp/content/press-releases-ani/izi-enterprise-secures-drdo-order-for-vana-its-indigenous-multi-mission-uav-platform-126110201328_1.html
• https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/business/izi-enterprise-secures-drdo-order-for-vana-its-indigenous-multi-mission-uav-platform
• https://idrw.org/izi-secures-drdo-order-for-indigenous-vana-surveillance-drone/
• https://www.defencewatch.in/ministry-of-defence/drdo/izi-enterprise-secures-drdo-order-for-indigenous-vana-multi-mission-surveillance-drone
• https://www.indiandefensenews.in/2026/11/izi-enterprise-wins-drdo-order-for.html
• https://www.theweek.in/news/defence/2026/08/12/indias-vana-drone-showcased-to-indian-army-it-can-can-be-deployed-in-60-seconds-spot-vehicles-from-24km-away.html
• https://enterprise.izicart.com/