Rithika Mohan is the Co-Founder and Chief Administration Officer of Garuda Aerospace, where she oversees people, processes, governance, technology, and administration to keep the company aligned and scalable.
Garuda Aerospace is India’s leading drone infrastructure company, built as a fully integrated ecosystem spanning drone manufacturing, Drone-as-a-Service, DGCA-approved pilot training, software development, and AI-powered analytics.
So far, the company has served more than 500 enterprise and government customers, trained thousands of drone pilots, and expanded its presence across key sectors such as agriculture, defence, industrial inspections, mining, oil and gas, public safety, and government applications. Reflecting on their vision, Rithika says,
“We believe drones are much more than flying devices; they are tools that can solve critical real-world challenges. Whether it is helping farmers improve crop productivity, inspecting critical infrastructure, supporting defence and surveillance operations, or training the next generation of drone pilots, our mission is to make drone technology accessible and impactful at scale.”
True Calling
What inspired Rithika was the realisation that drone technology could transform industries and solve practical problems for businesses, governments, and communities.
Rithika explains that when Garuda Aerospace began, drones were still a niche idea in India, with limited awareness and very little supporting infrastructure, but the team saw clear potential in agriculture, defence, industrial inspections, and public safety.
That early conviction pushed them to start small, work closely with customers to understand pain points, demonstrate real use cases suited to Indian conditions, and build trust one project at a time. She adds,
“As we grew, we realised that manufacturing drones alone was not enough. Customers needed trained pilots, software, operational support, maintenance, and regulatory guidance. This led us to create a full-stack ecosystem encompassing manufacturing, services, training, and AI analytics. What began as an ambitious idea has evolved into a company that is helping build India’s drone infrastructure and shaping the future of unmanned aviation.”
A Competitive Edge
Today, Garuda Aerospace stands out because it is built as a full-stack drone ecosystem rather than a company focused on just one part of the value chain. The business designs and manufactures drones, offers Drone-as-a-Service across India, trains DGCA-certified pilots, develops software and AI-powered analytics, and provides compliance, maintenance, and operational support.
That integrated model gives customers one trusted partner instead of multiple vendors, while also creating a feedback loop from thousands of missions that helps improve the products and software over time. Glossing over the other factors, Rithika asserts,
“Another key differentiator is our focus on execution. We have built strong governance frameworks, SOPs, and quality systems that allow us to deliver at scale while maintaining safety and compliance. Our partnerships, nationwide network, and ability to serve agriculture, defence, government, and enterprise customers make us uniquely positioned to lead this industry.”
Rocky Road
In the initial stages, one of the major challenges Rithika faced was convincing customers to adopt drone technology when it was still new in India, and many were unsure about regulations, reliability, and return on investment.
Rithika also had to navigate a fast-changing regulatory environment, where compliance requirements kept evolving. What helped, as she shares,
“We made governance and regulatory engagement a priority, ensuring that our operations were always aligned with the latest standards.”
As the company scaled, managing manufacturing, pilot training, field operations, and customer service required stronger systems, SOPs, and talent development. She further adds,
“We invested heavily in SOPs, technology platforms, and talent development to build a scalable foundation.”
Rithika acknowledges that, on top of that, like any growing business, Garuda Aerospace also had to handle financial pressures, operational setbacks, and market uncertainty while building for scale. They were able to overcome these challenges with resilience, a strong team, and an unwavering belief in their mission.
Celebrating Wins
“Success to us is not only financial performance but also the impact we create and the value we deliver to customers.”
Garuda Aerospace’s achievements so far include serving more than 500 enterprise and government customers, manufacturing and deploying thousands of drones, building one of India’s largest drone service ecosystems, and training thousands of DGCA-certified drone pilots.
The company has also strengthened its operational scale and execution capabilities through continuous innovation and a scalable business model while supporting government initiatives such as Kisan and women’s empowerment programs and establishing partnerships with global players like Airbus.
Beyond the numbers, the bigger achievement is helping customers adopt drone technology at scale, creating opportunities across India, and contributing to the country’s growing technology and infrastructure ecosystem.
Plans Ahead
Garuda Aerospace’s future plans are focused on becoming one of the world’s most trusted drone infrastructure companies.
The company plans to increase manufacturing capacity, strengthen AI and data analytics, expand Drone-as-a-Service across India and overseas, grow its pilot training network, and deepen its work across agriculture, defence, industrial, and logistics applications. With a glint of excitement in her eyes, Rithika mentions,
“A major milestone in this journey is our partnership with Airbus to introduce the Flexrotor platform, which will enable long-endurance applications in infrastructure monitoring, disaster response, and defence.”
The company also sees strong potential in AI, using operational data from every mission to improve automation, predictive analytics, and customer outcomes. The IPO, in turn, is expected to add both capital and credibility, giving Garuda Aerospace the ability to invest further in technology, infrastructure, and global expansion
Words of Wisdom
Rithika says one of the biggest lessons from the journey is that entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. She believes that success takes patience, consistency, and the ability to keep going through uncertainty and setbacks.
Rithika has also learned that systems matter just as much as ideas. She says a great idea is only the beginning and that a strong business needs governance, disciplined execution, and a capable team that shares the same vision if it is going to grow in a sustainable way. As she signs off, she says,
“It’s crucial that as an entrepreneur, you solve real problems. Make sure to stay committed to your vision, and do not be afraid of failure. Every challenge teaches you something valuable. Surround yourself with the right people, maintain integrity, and focus on creating genuine impact. If you remain resilient and consistent, success will eventually follow.”
