The Bengaluru-based Gopalan Aerospace inaugurated a new production line on October 14, as it seeks to expand manufacturing for aerospace, defence and space programmes. The 10.5-acre facility, part of Gopalan Enterprises, houses more than 150,000 square feet of manufacturing infrastructure. Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlíček attended the launch alongside Gopalan Enterprises director C Prabhakar.
The investment has established capabilities in precision computer numerical control machining, sheet-metal fabrication, advanced composites, aerostructures and complex assemblies. Gopalan Aerospace India Private Limited (GAIPL) says it offers both “Build-to-Print” manufacturing, in which it works to a customer’s design, and “Build-to-Spec” solutions, where it can contribute to engineering specifications. The company says the expanded platform will help it pursue more complex programmes and become a higher-value supplier to global aerospace and defence companies.
The launch comes alongside plans to sharply increase drone production. GAIPL director C Prabhakar says that the company aims to raise output from about 25 unmanned aerial vehicles a month to 500 within a year. Of five product lines under development, two UAVs are already in serial production, he said. The company describes them as loitering munitions, designed to remain airborne before striking a designated target. Their reported range is 50 to 80 kilometres.
The production target is a company ambition, not a confirmed delivery schedule or evidence of military orders. Prabhakar said the company has the technology and is now working to scale production. GAIPL has also been developing indigenous loitering-munition systems for the past three years and is in talks with international technology companies about collaboration, technology transfer, joint development and manufacturing. Details of specific partners or contracts have not been disclosed.
The company announced in early 2025 that it planned to invest ₹100 crore over the next three years. Prabhakar said roughly ₹75 crore had been spent by October 2026, including investment in the Hoskote plant, with the company expecting to complete the planned deployment by March 2027. The additional production line is intended to support the company’s broader expansion and drone manufacturing ambitions.
GAIPL’s aerospace business currently generates around $20 million in annual revenue, according to the company. It is targeting 50 per cent year-on-year growth over the next three to five years and expects the Hoskote facility to generate about $50 million annually at planned capacity. Those figures are forecasts rather than reported results, and depend on securing programmes, raising production and converting its installed capacity into customer orders.
The company says its customer and programme ecosystem includes Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Israel Aerospace Industries, Larsen & Toubro, DRDO, Tata Advanced Systems, ISRO, National Aerospace Laboratories, Expleo and ECIL, as well as the Indian Army and Indian Air Force. GAIPL holds AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015 certifications and Nadcap accreditations for composites and welding, according to the company.
