Amber Wings secures DGCA approval for cargo drone ATVA-1

Amber Wings, a Chennai-based aerospace startup that was incubated at IIT Madras, has received DGCA Type Certification for its ATVA-1 cargo drone.

This makes Amber Wings the first Indian company to get this certification for a hybrid drone made just for commercial cargo operations. It opens the door for high-frequency, last-mile deliveries utilising drones that are planned, developed, and produced entirely in India.

The ATVA-1 has been approved for commercial use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including night missions. It was built over six design iterations and years of research and development. "This approval from India's aviation authority demonstrates that the drone is safe, reliable, and ready for large-scale deployment across diverse sectors," reads the release. 

"Receiving the DGCA Type Certification for our ATVA-1 is a moment of immense pride and a validation of our team's relentless pursuit of excellence," said Prof. Satya Chakravarthy, Founder, Chief, and Technical Lead of Ubifly Technologies. "We believe the ATVA-1 will be a disruptive force in the logistics industry. Its unique capabilities are set to redefine the standards of aerial cargo transportation in India and across the globe."

Amber Wings is one of the few Indian drone producers with more than one DGCA-certified platform, including its agricultural drone, Vihaa.

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the drone industry is estimated to be valued more than 5,000 crore by 2030. This second certification makes Amber Wings a pioneer in a field that will play a big part in changing e-commerce, healthcare delivery, manufacturing, and emergency services.

Uday Kumar, VP of Products, Amber Wings said, "We're not just making drones; we're making the future of self-driving logistics." "The ATVA-1 is more than simply a plane; it's a promise of a world that is faster, more efficient, and more connected. This is simply the first step in our journey to make a big difference in the world.

Drones like the ATVA-1 might make last-mile and rural deliveries faster, which would make a big difference in speed and accessibility for industries like e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, and emergency services. Autonomous drone operations also lower the cost of each delivery, making it possible to grow without building a lot of infrastructure on the ground. Amber Wings is helping to create more high-tech jobs and domestic intellectual property in India by designing and making all of its drones there. 

The release also reads, "Looking ahead, the ATVA platform will evolve with its successor, the ATVA-2, which is designed to carry over 6 kg of payload—making it suitable for more frequent, bulk logistics. While most of these platforms already exist and are fully capable, they are currently pending certification."

Amber Wings’ product ecosystem includes:

● The DGCA-certified Vihaa agricultural drone

● ATVA-1, which also has an advanced imaging variant designed for mapping, surveillance, and precision agriculture

● ATVA-2, the next-gen fixed-wing VTOL cargo drone with enhanced payload capabilities

● Multi-50, an all-altitude, heavy-lift multicopter with a payload capacity of over 50 kg

● QuadCopter, a flexible drone platform combining 20+ kg payload with advanced imaging solutions

● e50, a hybrid VTOL built for fast delivery of 50+ kg payloads

● e100, a future variant designed for up to 100 kg payloads, currently in development