← Back
Article image
📰 News ⏱ 2 min

India Advances Heavy‑Lift Drone YETI Toward Full Flight Testing

The Technology Development Board has agreed to provide 151 crore rupees to ideaForge Technology to develop YETI, a hybrid vertical take‑off and landing unmanned aerial vehicle.

🔑

Key Points

4 points
1

Funding amount: 151 crore rupees via the Research Development and Innovation Fund.

2

Goal: move the drone from prototype stage (Technology Readiness Level 4) to fully operational (Technology Readiness Level 9).

3

Capabilities: 200 kg payload, 200 km range, 6,500 m altitude, vertical take‑off, fixed‑wing flight, GPS‑independent navigation, swarm operation.

4

Purpose: deliver supplies to areas without road access, such as high‑altitude regions, deserts and maritime zones.

📖

Summary

YETI aims to lift 200 kg payloads over distances of 200 km and operate at altitudes up to 6,500 m, supporting remote logistics for the armed forces and disaster relief.

The program will advance the project from Technology Readiness Level 4 to Level 9, covering engineering, integration, testing and safety certification.

📘

New Words to Learn

19 words
Technology Development Board
government organization that funds new technology projects
Research Development and Innovation Fund
money set aside to help research and create new inventions
ideaForge Technology
company that designs and builds advanced machines
YETI
name of the heavy‑lift drone being created
hybrid vertical take‑off and landing
can rise straight up like a helicopter and then fly like an airplane
unmanned aerial vehicle
a flying machine that does not have a pilot inside
payload
the amount of weight the drone can carry
kilograms
unit for measuring weight
kilometres
unit for measuring distance
altitude
height above sea level
armed forces
the country's army, navy and air force
disaster relief
help given after natural emergencies
Technology Readiness Level
scale that shows how close a technology is to being used in real life
engineering
designing and building things
integration
combining many parts into one system
testing
checking that something works correctly
safety certification
official approval that something is safe to use
GPS‑independent navigation
finding the way without using satellite signals
swarm operation
many drones working together as a group
🔗 Read Full Article →

Want to learn even more? Click here to read the full story!

🔊 Reading Article
Kid-friendly voice
🏆

New Badge Unlocked!

Badge Name
Badge description