In an exclusive conversation with Life of Soldiers, Satyabrata Satapathy, the visionary CEO of BonV Aero, sheds light on the company’s pioneering work in electric aerial mobility and its potential applications in defence logistics. As India’s aerospace sector embraces innovation, BonV Aero is charting a new course with its heavy-lift electric aircraft designed for high-altitude and remote terrain operations. In this insightful interview, Mr Satapathy discusses BonV Aero’s mission, challenges, and the transformative role of indigenous innovation in strengthening India’s defence preparedness.
LoS: BonV Aero recently set a world record by conducting a hover flight at 19,024 feet with a 30 kg payload at Umling La Pass. Could you elaborate on the significance of this achievement for high-altitude logistics and how it positions BonV Aero in the global UAV industry?
SS: Setting a world record by performing a hover flight at 19,024 feet with a 30 kg payload at Umling La Pass marks a major breakthrough not just for BonV Aero, but for the global aerial transport industry.
This achievement validates our platform’s capability to operate in thin air, sub-zero temperatures, and low-pressure conditions where most drones fail. It’s a critical milestone for high-altitude logistics, where conventional ground transport is either slow, unreliable, or completely inaccessible.
For India, it means a self-reliant, rapidly deployable logistics solution for border zones, forward military outposts, and disaster-hit mountainous regions. Globally, it places BonV Aero among a select few companies capable of executing heavy-payload, high-altitude autonomous missions, positioning us as a frontrunner in defence-grade aerial logistics.
This record is not just about altitude – it’s about engineering resilience, operational reliability, and sovereign innovation, built entirely in our country.
LoS: Your drones are designed to operate in extreme conditions, including temperatures as low as -20°C and challenging terrains like the Himalayas. What specific design features and technologies enable such performance, and how do they enhance operational efficiency for the Indian Army?
SS: Our platforms are purpose-built to operate in extreme high-altitude environments like the Himalayas, where conditions can drop to -20°C and oxygen levels are severely reduced. To meet these challenges, we’ve engineered several critical design features:
- High-Efficiency Distributed Propulsion Systems – Optimised for rarefied air, our motors deliver stable thrust even at altitudes above 18,000 ft, ensuring reliable lift in low-density conditions.
- Advanced Thermal Management – Our platforms use insulated electronics bays and active heat regulation to keep systems functional in sub-zero temperatures.
- Ruggedised Airframes – Built with aerospace-grade alloys, the structure can withstand high winds, vibration, and snow exposure while remaining lightweight.
- Autonomous Navigation Stack – BonV’s proprietary software enables precise terrain-following, GPS-denied navigation, and return-to-home failsafe, critical for Himalayan missions.
- Modular Payload Bay – Designed to accommodate mission-specific payloads – different type of stores from rations, ammunition to medical kits to communication gear-enhancing adaptability in field operations.
These technologies dramatically enhance the Indian Army’s logistics capabilities, enabling faster, risk-free supply drops to forward posts, even in areas where traditional road access is cut off by weather or terrain. Our machine reduces reliance on manpower and helicopters, improve mission timelines, and support India’s goal of sovereign, autonomous defence logistics.
LoS: The RM001 drone was developed in response to a challenge by the Indian Army. Can you discuss the collaborative process involved in its development and the key capabilities that make it suitable for defence logistics?
SS: The RM001 was developed in direct response to a challenge posed by the Indian Army Supply Corp, which sought a solution for autonomous, heavy-payload logistics in high-altitude and operationally sensitive regions. This project exemplified public-private co-creation, where end-user insights from the Army were closely integrated into our R&D cycle.
From day one, the Army’s inputs shaped the system requirements-payload capacity, altitude performance, ruggedisation, rapid deployment, and autonomy. Our engineering team worked in iterative sprints, conducting joint field validations with Army personnel in challenging zones like Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir.
Key Capabilities That Make RM001 Defence-Ready:
- Payload Capacity: Capable of lifting up to 50 kg, supporting supply of rations, ammunition, and medical kits.
- High-Altitude Performance: Operates efficiently now in 6500 ft AMSL, well-suited for Himalayan forward bases. R&D is in progress for the high altitudes in collaboration with Army Design Bureau (ADB).
- Autonomous Flight: Equipped with AI-powered navigation, GPS-denied routing, and return-to-home protocols-ideal for contested or jammed zones.
- Quick Deployment: Field-ready in under 15 minutes; requires minimal crew and no runway.
- Modular Mission Bay: Adaptable for sling loads, enclosed cargo, para-drops, or comms payloads.
The RM001 (Pelican) reflects the power of collaborative innovation-where frontline feedback meets indigenous engineering to deliver a mission-critical logistics platform tailored for India’s defence landscape.
LoS: BonV Aero emphasizes indigenous development, with high Indigenous content. How does this commitment to ‘Make in India’ impact the reliability and scalability of your drone solutions for defence applications?
SS: At BonV Aero, Complete development is inhouse as we are a design house including the airframes, propulsion systems, flight controllers, ground control stations, and mission software. This deep commitment to ‘Make in India’ goes far beyond localisation-it directly impacts the reliability, maintainability, and strategic independence of our systems.
For defence applications, indigenous development means:
- Supply Chain Resilience: We are not dependent on foreign vendors or sensitive imports, ensuring uninterrupted availability of spares and upgrades during crises.
- Rapid Iteration & Customisation: In-house control over technology allows us to respond swiftly to Army feedback, operational demands, and changing mission profiles.
- Secure Architecture: All data remains on Indian servers, with no exposure to foreign telemetry or control risks.
- Scalable Manufacturing: Our ecosystem of Indian MSME suppliers enables us to scale production quickly without geopolitical bottlenecks.
By embedding self-reliance into the core of our platform, we offer defence forces not just an advanced aerial machine—but a strategic, sovereign capability that aligns with India’s national security goals.
LoS: Your drones feature AI-based predictive maintenance and self-flying technology. How do these innovations contribute to mission success and reduce the logistical burden on military Personnel?
SS: Our drones are equipped with AI-based predictive maintenance and fully autonomous self-flying capabilities, both of which are critical enablers for mission success in high-stakes defence environments.
How they contribute:
- Predictive Maintenance: Our onboard systems continuously monitor health parameters-motors, sensors, batteries-and predict failures before they occur. This prevents mission downtime, reduces maintenance cycles, and ensures high system readiness in remote or forward-deployed areas.
- Self-Flying Technology: BonV drones autonomously plan, launch, navigate, and return without the need for continuous operator input. This greatly reduces the manpower and skill level required to operate UAVs in the field, freeing up soldiers for other tactical tasks.
Combined, these innovations streamline logistics, minimise human error, and ensure high reliability in unpredictable environments-making our systems a force multiplier for defence logistics operations.
LoS: The Air Orca drone has been operationally deployed at altitudes up to 15,000 feet AMSL. What feedback have you received from field deployments, and how has it influenced further development?
SS: The Air Orca has been operationally deployed at altitudes up to 15,000 feet AMSL, supporting real-time missions in high-altitude logistics. Field deployments-especially in forward areas like Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir – have provided us with critical insights into performance, resilience, and usability under extreme conditions.
Key feedback from the field included:
- Positive performance in thin air and sub-zero temperatures, validating our distributed propulsion and thermal management systems.
- Requests for faster field assembly, small size and simplified operator interfaces, which led us to develop compact rugged packaging, improve modularity and refine our ground control software.
- Demand for multi-mission flexibility, prompting the development of a modular payload bay that can switch between cargo, sling, or med-evac modes in minutes.
This feedback has directly influenced our roadmap – accelerating improvements in autonomy, mission versatility, and deployment readiness, ensuring that Air Orca continues to evolve with real-world operational needs.
LoS: BonV Aero has been recognized with awards such as the Indian Achievers’ Award and inclusion in the UK Ministry of Defence’s UASHLC Framework. How do these recognitions reflect on your company’s global standing and future collaborations?
SS: Being recognised with the Indian Achievers’ Award and selected for the UK Ministry of Defence’s UAS Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) Framework affirms BonV Aero’s position as a globally relevant deep-tech company delivering cutting-edge UAV solutions.
These recognitions demonstrate that our innovations are not only meeting India’s strategic and operational needs, but are also aligned with international standards of performance, reliability, and autonomy.
Our inclusion in the UASHLC framework opens the door to collaborations with global defence stakeholders, R&D institutions, and allied forces-validating our potential to contribute to joint missions, NATO-aligned logistics frameworks, and dual-use export markets.
Such honours accelerate our journey toward becoming a trusted global partner in high-payload autonomous logistics, and reflect the confidence that defence ecosystems—both in India and abroad—place in our technology and mission.
LoS: Your drones are designed with multi-pod payload capabilities for various applications, including humanitarian aid and disaster response. Can you share examples of how this versatility has been utilized in non-military operations?
SS: While our platforms are currently operationally deployed in defence logistics, their multi-pod payload architecture is intentionally designed for rapid adaptability across multiple use cases, including humanitarian aid and disaster response.
The same systems that deliver supplies to high-altitude military posts can be reconfigured within minutes for para-drops or essential aid delivery in flood-affected or remote civilian areas.
Our focus has been on proving performance in the most demanding environments, and having successfully achieved that with the Indian Army, we’re now well-positioned to extend these capabilities to non-military missions—where speed, autonomy, and access matter most.
The versatility is built-in, and we’re excited about its potential to support governments, disaster response agencies, and humanitarian organisations in the near future.
LoS: Looking ahead, what are BonV Aero’s plans for advancing aerial technology to meet evolving defence and civilian needs, both domestically and internationally? How do you envision your role in shaping the future of aerial logistics?
SS: Looking ahead, BonV Aero is focused on advancing heavy-payload, autonomous aerial technology to meet the next generation of defence and civilian logistics challenges, both in India and globally.
Domestically, we aim to scale production and expand deployment in forward regions, while introducing next-gen variants for use in disaster response, med-evac, and rural supply chains. Internationally, we are pursuing dual-use exports in South-East Asia, Africa, and the U.S., including certification efforts like Blue and Green UAS for wider deployment.
We are also investing in the development of a 500 kg STOL platform with a vision toward EASA SC-VTOL certification by 2029, enabling BonV to enter the space of inter-city logistics and cargo mobility.
We see our role as a technology-first enabler of secure, sustainable, and infrastructure-independent aerial logistics-building systems that not only deliver payloads, but reshape how nations respond, recover, and resupply in the toughest conditions.
