New Delhi: Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday hailed startup firm IG Drones, which was born out of Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) campus in Odisha’s Sambalpur, for playing a pivotal role in Operation Sindoor, showcasing India’s indigenous drone capabilities.
“Drones made in Odisha’s Sambalpur crossed borders during Operation Sindoor. Our boys made the drones and supplied those to the Army,” he said, while responding to questions on the viability of start-ups in India at NDTV Education Conclave.
Founded by Bodhisattwa Sanghapriya, Om Prakash, Shuvam Dash, Sambit Prasad Parida, and Ashish Kumar Jena in 2018, IG Drones began as a student-led innovation project and soon became a significant contributor to India’s expanding defence-tech sector. The Indian Army employed the technology for terrain mapping, live data gathering, and target detection in challenging, hard-to-reach areas. The company’s small, agile drones facilitated quicker and more effective decision-making in the field, according to reports.
Dharmendra also spoke about another alumnus of the same institute, Anil Pradhan of Young Tinker Foundation, which is empowering high school students, particularly in rural areas, with the right skills and problem-solving mindset.
“It is a matter of great pride for me that two groups of innovators from Odisha have been included in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia 2025 list. I have 100% faith in the youth of India. From Kanyakumari to Kashmir, from Kutch to Mizoram, there are thousands of such young talents who have shown excellence in social life, deep-tech and service industry. This is the capital of India, which has been possible in the last 10 years due to Startup India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he asserted.
THE INNOVATION
Earlier speaking at Powering Bharat Summit 2025, Major General (Retd.) Ramesh Chandra Padhi, now Senior Vice President (R&D) at IG Drones, highlighted the company’s role in Operation Sindoor and its challenges.. “The Government of India acknowledged four drone companies for their roles in Operation Sindoor. IG Drones was among them — recognized not only for its performance but also for being cost-effective and entirely indigenous.”
He also shared a critical moment from the operation: On May 7, four of our engineers were stranded in the Poonch sector during drone delivery. We safely extracted them, and they were proud to be part of a historic mission.”
Padhi also introduced IG Drones’ new range of FPV Kamikaze drones — compact, agile, and precise, with speeds up to 140 km/h, nd priced at just Rs 1 lakh per unit. The company also manufactures surveillance and mapping drones.