Gopalan Aerospace Opens New Bengaluru Facility, Targets 500 Drones a Month

Gopalan Aerospace has inaugurated a new manufacturing line at its 10.5-acre facility near Bengaluru, strengthening its production capabilities across aerospace, defence and space programmes. The expansion comes as the company looks to scale up manufacturing and move towards more complex engineering and assembly work for domestic and international customers.

The facility, developed as part of Gopalan Enterprises, houses more than 1,50,000 square feet of manufacturing infrastructure. Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlíček attended the inauguration on October 14 alongside Gopalan Enterprises director C Prabhakar.

The new production infrastructure covers precision computer numerical control (CNC) machining, sheet-metal fabrication, advanced composites, aerostructures and complex assemblies. These capabilities allow Gopalan Aerospace India Private Limited (GAIPL) to manufacture components according to customer designs and contribute to engineering specifications where required.

Drone Production Target Set at 500 Units a Month

Alongside its aerospace manufacturing expansion, the company is planning a significant increase in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) production. According to director C Prabhakar, monthly output is expected to rise from approximately 25 drones to 500 within a year.

The company has five UAV product lines under development, of which two are already in serial production, Prabhakar said. These include loitering munitions designed to remain airborne before striking designated targets, with reported ranges of 50 to 80 kilometres.

However, the production target remains an ambition rather than a confirmed delivery schedule. Its achievement will depend on manufacturing scale-up and the conversion of potential business into orders.

GAIPL has also been developing indigenous loitering-munition systems for three years and is exploring collaborations with international technology companies. Discussions reportedly cover technology transfer, joint development and manufacturing, although specific partners and agreements have not been disclosed.

₹100 Crore Investment Plan Nears Completion

The company announced an investment plan of ₹100 crore over three years in early 2025. By October 2026, approximately ₹75 crore had been deployed, including investment in its Hoskote plant. GAIPL expects to complete the planned investment by March 2027.

Its aerospace business currently generates around $20 million in annual revenue, according to the company. GAIPL is targeting annual growth of 50% over the next three to five years and expects the Hoskote facility to generate approximately $50 million annually at planned capacity. These remain projections dependent on production expansion and customer demand.

The latest facility expansion positions Gopalan Aerospace to pursue a broader range of manufacturing programmes. Its ability to meet the drone production target and achieve projected revenue growth will depend on execution, customer orders and sustained demand across aerospace and defence markets.