In 2019, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries took a majority stake in the company. Asteria started sales in 2016 after nearly five years of investing in R&D.
Asteria’s products stand out as they don’t only manufacture drones, but also develop the software and internal technologies that ensure their operation.
Their website lists two main products — drones and SkyDeck. The latter is a cloud-based software platform that was launched on 23 March 2022. The main focus of SkyDeck is to enhance the inspection and surveillance capacity of drones.
Neel Mehta, co-founder of the firm, said their drones “are operated by one or two people on the ground and have either daytime or night-time camera”.
“The area that they cover is anywhere between 5 km and 15 km. SkyDeck acts as a multiplier and provides a platform for accessing data and visuals from the drones, remotely, by anyone across the country,” he added.
The SkyDeck can allow India’s armed forces to remotely assess real-time feeds from drones over India’s borders, spot irregularities and infiltrations, and take decisions in accordance.
Asteria’s website lists the Indian Army, West Bengal Police, Kerala Police, and Greater Mumbai City Police, among others, as clients.
On the government’s initiatives for the sector, Mehta said the “Union government’s enhanced engagements with start-ups through the iDEX platform have ensured that the latest technologies are reaching the armed forces”.
“It is in an important bridge between the government and private industry,” he added. The Print
