Mumbai-based ideaForge Technology Limited and Resonia Limited (formerly Sterlite Grid32 Limited), an Indian power transmission company, have signed an MoU to integrate drone and robotics technologies into India’s power transmission sector.
This aims to modernise survey, construction, and maintenance operations of transmission infrastructure nationwide. The collaboration will see ideaForge’s unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) deployed across Resonia’s transmission projects to improve efficiency, safety, and reliability.
The drones will be used for GIS surveys, route planning, construction progress monitoring, and asset inspections. Specialised software will also be introduced for real-time asset health monitoring and predictive maintenance. All UAV operations will comply with regulations set by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
“We aim to reduce timelines and enhance safety, productivity, and reliability, especially in challenging environments,” said Ankit Mehta, CEO of ideaForge.
The partnership also involves using heavy-lift drones for material transport and wire stringing, tasks that are traditionally reliant on helicopters or manual labour. This shift is expected to reduce costs, improve safety, and accelerate project timelines.
ideaforge will provide training programmes and certification workshops to ensure safe drone operations. The DGCA recently certified this as well.
A joint research and development roadmap has been established to tailor drone solutions to evolving energy sector needs. Resonia will continue leveraging drone-enabled innovations to address challenges like labour shortages and environmental concerns in project execution.
ideaForge also recently announced a strategic partnership with Vantage Robotics, a nano and micro UAV provider based in California. The collaboration aims to broaden ideaForge’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) solution offerings and strengthen its presence in the North American market.
Additionally, in a show of its capabilities, the company recently helped successfully capture and relocate a leopard spotted on the ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics) campus in Hyderabad.
