Kerala-based deeptech startup Fuselage Innovations Private Limited has received national recognition at the Tribal Business Conclave Open Grand Challenge, organised by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs in collaboration with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under Startup India.
The award was presented by President Droupadi Murmu to Devan Chandrasekharan, Managing Director of Fuselage Innovations, at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on November 12. Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram was also present.
The recognition highlights the company’s six years of work in the tribal sector using agricultural drone technology and its initiatives to improve livelihood opportunities for tribal communities.
Fuselage Innovations aims to extend modern technology to remote tribal regions through pilot projects in collaboration with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Drone Technology for Tribal Agriculture
Since 2021, Fuselage Innovations has been working to support agricultural development and technological empowerment among tribal communities.
Its initiatives began under the India High Range Mountain Landscape (IHRML) project, supported by the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Green Innovation Fund. The project, implemented with support from the Central Government, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Haritha Keralam Mission, focused on promoting sustainable farming practices.
Agricultural drones were deployed to reduce the excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides while improving farming efficiency.
In 2022, the company partnered with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University to introduce drone technology among tribal farmers cultivating vetiver in the Rameswaram region. The initiative aimed to improve productivity through technology-driven agricultural practices.
Creating Drone-Based Rural Entrepreneurs
Fuselage Innovations later partnered with the SELCO Foundation to expand agricultural drone technology in Raichur and Gangavathi in North Karnataka.
Through a gap-financing model, the company helped develop local farmers into ‘Champion Farmers’. Tribal farmers were provided with drones, training and the required pilot licences, enabling them to establish self-employment ventures.
The initiative aimed to transform tribal farmers from beneficiaries of modern agricultural technology into operators of drone-based service businesses.
The company is also working with the Rubber Research Institute of India in Kottayam to provide drone-based agricultural services and technical support to rubber farmers in Assam and Mizoram.
Expanding into Defence and Drone Technology
Fuselage Innovations, a recipient of the 2026 National Startup Award, is active in agricultural drone research, development and manufacturing, defence technology solutions and drone pilot training.
The company has worked on defence technology projects in collaboration with the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL).
Its drone technologies and services have reached several states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
The company also operates Fuselage Flying Club in Ernakulam district, a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)-approved Remote Pilot Training Organisation.
The latest national recognition marks an important milestone in Fuselage Innovations’ efforts to use drone technology to support tribal agriculture, strengthen technical skills, create employment opportunities and encourage entrepreneurship in remote communities.
