EFKO Group unit, India's Sasaa agree to form drone JV
MOSCOW. Nov 15 (Interfax) - Transport of the Future LLC, a division of Russia's EFKO Group, and Sasaa, a major Indian microelectronics manufacturer, have agreed to work together on developing unmanned aviation systems on the Indian market, the Russian company reported.
The companies signed a memorandum at the Dubai Airshow 2023 stipulating their intention to set up joint production in India and start developing drones for freight delivery and monitoring.
"The agreement on the joint creation of a manufacturing center underlines our general commitment to developing unmanned aviation system technologies. We expect the agreement to have a huge impact on both the sector and on the achievement of India's sustainable development goals. I believe that this opens up big opportunities," Transport of the Future CEO Yury Kozarenko was quoted as saying in the press release.
He said the geographical specifics of India, with its hot, humid climate and high mountain areas with elevations of 5,000-6,000 meters, present technological challenges. "In order to overcome these challenges, we plan to significantly improve Transport of the Future's existing unmanned aviation system models and develop new technologies to meet our clients' needs," Kozarenko said.
Transport of the Future, which was registered in Belgorod Region in 2021, develops unmanned aviation systems, including air taxis and large drones weighing up to 700 kg, which are undergoing flight tests.
Transport of the Future began building a facility to mass produce civilian drones at a plant in Samara Region in April. The company said it has already built four parts of the facility, including lines for assembling two types of drones and a shop to make structural elements of drones.
The plant in Togliatti will build agricultural drones, delivery drones capable of carrying up to 200 kg and a line of lighter drones weighing up to 30 kg, along with components for its own needs and for sale on the market. Production is scheduled to start in 2024.