Autonomous Drone Conclave 2026
Navigating the Future: Building the Indian Autonomous & Drone Ecosystem.
A curated executive forum that brings together invited leaders from industry, government, defence, academia, deep-tech, OEMs, regulatory bodies, and the investment community for strategic conversations and collaborative innovation.
An executive forum for India's autonomous ecosystem
Participation is by invitation, drawn from the organisations shaping policy, technology, and capital across India's autonomous systems landscape.
Industry Leaders
C-suite and senior executives steering technology strategy.
OEMs
Manufacturers building platforms and components at scale.
Defence Organisations
Agencies advancing national security applications.
Government Bodies
Ministries and departments guiding policy and funding.
Deep-Tech Startups
Founders building the next generation of autonomy.
Tier-1 Academic Researchers
Faculty and scientists driving foundational research.
Investors
Capital partners backing the autonomous systems sector.
Regulatory Agencies
Bodies defining certification and airspace frameworks.
The Autonomous Drone Conclave 2026 is a strategic ecosystem-building initiative hosted by TiHAN – IIT Hyderabad, designed to bridge the gap between deep-tech research and commercial deployment.
The conclave fosters collaboration among industry, academia, government, defence, investors, and technology innovators — accelerating the development, testing, certification, and commercialization of autonomous drone technologies in India.
Four pillars, one continuous pathway
Every workstream at the conclave maps to a stage in this pathway — from early research through to full-scale commercialization.
Research
Foundational science and applied R&D across autonomy, navigation, and perception.
Testing
Rigorous validation on India's advanced autonomous navigation testbed.
Certification
Structured pathways to regulatory approval and airworthiness.
Commercialization
Routes to market, manufacturing scale-up, and deployment.
Program Highlights
Every session is designed to move from insight to action — closing with a guided tour of TiHAN's testbed infrastructure.
Opening Address
Framing the national opportunity and the day ahead.
Keynote Session
Perspectives from national leadership on the autonomous ecosystem.
Executive Panel Discussion
Industry, academia, and government on scaling safely and reliably.
Interactive Open Floor
Direct dialogue between delegates and panel leadership.
Working Group Formation
Delegates align into focused ecosystem working groups.
Working Group Presentations
Early outcomes and commitments shared with the full forum.
TiHAN Testbed Tour
A guided walkthrough of India's autonomous navigation testbed.
Strategic Networking Lunch
Structured time to build partnerships across sectors.
Strengthening industry–academia–government collaboration for safe, reliable, and scalable autonomous technologies.
What participants gain from the ecosystem working group
Joining a working group connects your organisation directly into India's autonomous drone value chain.
Joint R&D
Collaborative research programs across institutions and industry.
Joint Development Agreements
Formal frameworks for shared technology development.
Priority Testing Access
Early and preferential access to TiHAN's testbed infrastructure.
Manufacturing Support
Guidance and pathways for scaling production.
Commercialization
Structured routes from prototype to market-ready product.
Technology Transfer
Mechanisms to license and transfer innovations at scale.
Government Projects
Visibility into national procurement and pilot opportunities.
Skill Development
Structured upskilling aligned to autonomous systems careers.
Talent Pipeline
Access to trained graduates and specialised researchers.
Joint Marketing
Shared visibility across national and industry platforms.
Business Matchmaking
Curated introductions between complementary organisations.
Investor Connect
Direct access to capital partners focused on the sector.
Strategic Partnerships
Long-term alliances across the value chain.
National Collaboration
A seat within India's coordinated autonomous ecosystem.
Experience India's premier autonomous navigation testbed
TiHAN's testbed is purpose-built to validate autonomous systems under real-world conditions — from early-stage trials through to certification-ready testing.
- Autonomous vehicle testing
- Drone validation
- Certification support
- Advanced testing infrastructure
Show your interest
The Autonomous Drone Conclave 2026 is an invitation-only executive forum. Participation is limited to selected representatives from industry, OEMs, defence organisations, government agencies, deep-tech startups, investors, and leading academic institutions. Complete the interest form to be considered — our organising committee will review all submissions.
Show Your InterestThis form is an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the Autonomous Drone Conclave 2026. It is not the final event registration. Official invitations and a secure registration link will be sent via the registered email address