Drogo Aerospace's JK 250e Becomes Its Sixth DGCA Type-Certified Drone, With Army Deliveries Already Under Way
Hyderabad's Drogo Aerospace has won DGCA type certification for its JK 250e hybrid VTOL surveillance drone, its sixth certified model. The Army began taking deliveries in June under a ₹72 crore order.
Hyderabad drone maker Drogo Aerospace said on 15 October 2026 that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted a type certificate to its JK 250e. The JK 250e is a fixed-wing drone that takes off and lands vertically (VTOL) and is built for military surveillance. It is the company's sixth drone model to win DGCA type certification.
The company's chief, Yeshwanth Bonthu, said the JK 250e is the only UAV in India with a hybrid fixed-wing and multirotor configuration to get DGCA type certification for training purposes.
What the certificate covers
The certificate's scope needs to be stated carefully. Several outlets describe it simply as a type certification. Reports that quote the company, in The Hans India and Siasat, say it is for training purposes, meaning it will support training drone operators. We could not find the DGCA's own listing to confirm the exact scope.
Either way, the certificate matters under India's rules. Under the Drone Rules, 2021, a drone model needs a type certificate before units of that model can be registered and flown. The certificate is issued after an accredited certification body tests the design. Without it, a manufacturer cannot legally fly that model in Indian airspace outside narrow exemptions, however good the hardware is.
The aircraft
The JK 250e combines two kinds of drone in one airframe:
- Multirotor lift lets it take off and land vertically from a small clearing, with no runway or launcher.
- Fixed wings carry it in forward flight, which uses far less energy than hovering. That gives it the range and endurance a pure quadcopter lacks.
The company quotes an endurance of two to three hours. The drone is designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and situational awareness in the field. That suits Indian Army units patrolling mountains, deserts and long borders, where there is seldom a runway and a battery quadcopter cannot stay up long enough.
Already in service
The certificate follows deliveries to the Army. In June 2026, Drogo, formerly called Drogo Drones, delivered a first batch of 41 JK 250e drones to the Army's Southern Command in Nashik. That batch is part of a ₹72 crore contract for 217 units. At the time, the remaining 176 drones were scheduled for delivery by August 2026. The reports we reviewed did not confirm whether that schedule was met.
The order is part of the Army's wider push since 2025 to field many more indigenous drones at unit level. The service has been buying smaller numbers from many Indian suppliers instead of relying on a few imported systems.
Why it matters
India's drone policy has two aims at once: open the civilian sky to commercial operators under clear rules, and build a domestic supply base for the armed forces. A company that sells to the Army and also holds DGCA certificates fits both. A civil type certificate also lets the same airframe be sold later to police, disaster-response agencies or surveyors, and supports a pipeline of trained pilots.
For a mid-sized Hyderabad company, six certified platforms and a ₹72 crore Army order show that India's drone market is broadening beyond a few large names. Watch next for a repeat order and for whether the certificate's training scope is extended to full operational use.
Sources
- https://telanganatoday.com/drogo-aerospaces-jk-250e-uav-receives-dgca-type-certification
- https://www.theweek.in/news/defence/2026/10/16/indias-indigenous-military-drone-capabilities-mark-another-milestone-as-jk-250e-gets-dgca-certification.html
- https://www.deccanchronicle.com/southern-states/telangana/drogo-aerospaces-jk-250e-uav-gets-dgca-certification-1996165
- https://www.thehansindia.com/business/market-compass/drogos-jk-250e-defence-uav-bags-dgca-type-certification-1132758
- https://www.siasat.com/hyderabad-firms-jk-250e-defence-uav-receives-dgca-certification-3559314/
- https://engineering.industry-report.net/2026/10/15/drogo-aerospace-jk-250e-vtol-uav-dgca-type-certificate/
- https://www.indiandefensenews.in/2026/06/drogo-aerospace-delivers-first-batch-of.html
- https://www.siasat.com/hyderabad-defence-firm-supplies-drones-to-indian-army-3490157/