Shark Tank India–Featured Defence Dronetech Startup insideFPV Raises ₹6 Crore in Pre-Series A Funding
Introduction
Gujarat-based defence drone technology startup insideFPV, which rose to national prominence after featuring on Shark Tank India, has raised ₹6 crore in a pre-Series A funding round led by venture capital firm GVFL. The funding comes at a pivotal time for the Indian defence and drone ecosystem, as the startup sharpens its focus on building indigenous, battlefield-ready unmanned aerial systems for India’s armed forces. With this fresh capital, insideFPV aims to accelerate product development, strengthen engineering depth, and scale manufacturing capabilities for defence-grade drone platforms.
Funding Details and Use of Capital
The GVFL-led pre-Series A round will be deployed across product development, engineering capability building, and manufacturing readiness. A significant portion of the capital will go toward testing and validation, expanding production capacity, and meeting working capital requirements for defence deployments.
In addition, insideFPV will invest in deployment support infrastructure, including operator training, spare parts availability, and rapid repair and maintenance capabilities. This end-to-end approach reflects the startup’s strategy of not just manufacturing drones, but delivering mission-ready systems suitable for real-world battlefield conditions and extreme environments.
Company Background and Founders
Founded in 2020 by Arth Chowdhary, Deyvant Bhardwaj, and Oshi Kumari, insideFPV was established to address the growing demand for high-performance FPV drones manufactured entirely in India. What began as a consumer-focused drone company has evolved into a multi-segment UAV manufacturer serving defence, surveillance, agriculture, commercial, and government clients. The company has registered its intellectual property in India and follows a strong Make-in-India philosophy, designing and manufacturing its drones domestically rather than relying on imports or copied designs.
Product Portfolio and Technology Differentiation
insideFPV’s product lineup includes FPV drones, kamikaze drones, surveillance platforms, and interceptor drones, purpose-built for defence and security applications. A major differentiator is its “Plug and Fly” FPV drone architecture, which allows users to deploy drones immediately after charging—eliminating complex setup processes common in traditional FPV systems.
The drones are designed to be compact, robust, and agile, with pricing starting at approximately ₹2,800, making them accessible across varied use cases. The company has also achieved a world record flight time of 141 minutes on a single charge, underscoring its engineering and battery optimization capabilities.
Business Model
insideFPV operates a multi-segment business model spanning consumer, enterprise, agriculture, and defence markets. While the consumer segment helps drive early adoption and brand visibility, the company’s long-term growth strategy is anchored in defence and government contracts, which offer higher order values, longer contract cycles, and recurring revenue through maintenance and support.
Revenue streams include:
- Direct drone sales.
- Defence and government contracts.
- Enterprise and agricultural deployments.
- Training, maintenance, and after-sales support.
- Custom drone solutions for surveillance and security.
This diversified model allows insideFPV to balance scale, innovation, and sustainability, while gradually increasing its defence-sector exposure.
Traction, Recognition, and Shark Tank India
insideFPV became the first Indian drone company to appear on Shark Tank India (Season 2), where it raised ₹75 lakh for 15% equity from Peyush Bansal, Namita Thapar, Amit Jain, and Aman Gupta, valuing the company at ₹5 crore. The appearance significantly boosted brand awareness and credibility.
The startup has since won the Him-Dron-A-thon 2024, been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2024, and received the TIMES Most Promising Drone Tech Startup Award, cementing its position as a rising player in India’s UAV ecosystem.
Commercial Traction and Global Exposure
To date, insideFPV has served 1,000+ customers, delivered 2,000+ orders, registered over 15,000 potential buyers, and set up 10+ drone arenas across India. The company has also supplied drones to three defence regiments, marking early traction within the defence sector. On the international front, insideFPV has reportedly secured a long-term agreement to supply 10,000 drones to Israel over the next 10 years, signaling its ambitions to compete globally.
Future Plans
Over the next 12 months, insideFPV plans to:
- Scale manufacturing capacity.
- Expand its defence-focused product portfolio.
- Strengthen testing, validation, and deployment capabilities.
Over the next three to five years, the startup aims to establish itself as a global defence drone manufacturer, serving international military and security agencies while playing a key role in India’s defence self-reliance mission. The company also plans to deepen collaborations with government bodies, defence institutions, and global partners.
Previous Funding and Investor Support
Prior to the GVFL-led round, insideFPV raised multiple seed rounds from Inflection Point Ventures, Mumbai Angels, Soonicorn, and angel investors including Fossbytes and Kumar Sahu. Overall, the startup has raised approximately $880K across six funding rounds, with its last reported valuation at $2.73 million (September 2023).
Conclusion
With strong investor backing, proven traction, and a clear defence-first roadmap, insideFPV is emerging as a serious contender in India’s rapidly evolving drone and defence technology landscape. As India accelerates its push toward indigenous defence manufacturing, startups like insideFPV could play a defining role in shaping the future of unmanned warfare and security systems.
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