Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Central Government’s Technology Development Board (TDB) entered an agreement with Casey Aviation Private Limited to develop an advanced hybrid propulsion-based Jump Take-Off (JTO) system for unmanned and light aircraft platforms, an official statement said on April 13. The proposed solution integrates hybrid propulsion technologies to enable short or near-vertical take-off capabilities for platforms such as gyrocopters and unmanned aerial systems.
The project also envisaged the establishment of a dedicated test bench facility for validating rotorcraft propulsion systems, as a critical infrastructure for testing and optimisation of next-generation aerial mobility technologies, the statement from the Ministry of Science & Technology said. It will be the first such propulsion testing facility in North India, a validated testing infrastructure for startups and developers working in unmanned and advanced aerial mobility systems.
The government-run board has sanctioned a conditional grant for the project titled ‘Boost Electric Jump Take-Off (BE-JTO)’ under the India-UK Collaborative R&D Programme for Industrial Sustainability, in partnership with UK-based ARC Aerosystems Ltd.
“By enabling reduced take-off distances and improved operational flexibility, the technology is expected to support a wide range of applications, including regional connectivity, disaster response, medical evacuation, unmanned logistics, and surveillance operations, particularly in remote and inaccessible regions,” the statement said. Apart from in-house development support, broader ecosystem benefits will accrue from offering testing services and facilitating the commercialisation of hybrid propulsion solutions.
Rajesh Kumar Pathak, Secretary, TDB, said that collaborative R&D initiatives under international programmes are crucial in advancing cutting-edge technologies in strategic sectors.
