Bharat Forge and Windracers announce strategic MoU to advance UAV operations in India at DSEI UK 2025
Image caption: (Left to Right): Bharat Forge Associate Vice President Cdr Rahul Verma (Retd), Aadit Kalyani, and Vice Chairman and Joint Managing Director Amit Kalyani and Windracers CEO Simon Muderack, Sales Director Daryl Badla and Group Chairman and Founder Stephen Wright at DSEI UK 2025
London (UK) – 11 September 2025 – Bharat Forge Limited (BFL), India’s largest forging and advanced engineering group, and Windracers Limited, the UK-based manufacturer of the world’s most accomplished dual-use heavy-lift drone, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the deployment, localisation and application of Windracers ULTRA Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) across India. The MoU was signed at DSEI UK 2025 in London.
The partnership builds on the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), advancing aerospace technology transfer and innovation in both countries, and aligns with the goals of India-UK Vision 2035. The MoU begins with an initial two-year term, offering both companies the opportunity to advance localisation, conduct joint trials and shape a definitive agreement for deployment in India.
Together, Bharat Forge and Windracers expect to address emerging requirements across the Indian military and civil sectors with ULTRA’s capabilities, including Carrier On Board Delivery (COD) operations for the Indian Navy, critical logistics for Indian Army and Indian Air Force, and other key roles in varied operational environments.
“We are delighted to partner with Windracers under the positive climate fostered by the UK-India FTA,” said Amit Kalyani, Joint MD of Bharat Forge. “Windracers ULTRA not only enhances India’s indigenous UAV capabilities but also delivers robust solutions for high-stakes logistics across some of the world’s most challenging geographies.
“With an industry-leading payload capacity and proven performance in high-altitude, maritime, and remote terrains, Windracers ULTRA is uniquely suited to tri-service needs expanding our reach with an offering tailored to all three domains – naval, air, and land – and aligning with Indian Ministry of Defence’s 15-year roadmap that prioritizes unmanned logistics, naval operations, high-altitude supply chains, and dual-use technologies.”
Windracers ULTRA has already proven its multi-mission resilience and reliability in international operations, including its ongoing support for Antarctic research missions, and is expected to deliver similar advantages to India by enabling safe and efficient transport over hazardous and inaccessible terrain.
Simon Muderack, CEO of Windracers, said: “Collaborating with Bharat Forge represents a major step in expanding the dual-use operation of Windracers ULTRA. Our partnership will leverage the years of ULTRA research, development, testing and operation, and deliver strategic benefits and operational autonomy for India’s defence and civil stakeholders.”
Windracers ULTRA uses proprietary mission control and autopilot systems and is designed for endurance missions of six to seven hours. ULTRA is designed and built to operate across diverse environments, from India’s oceanic and island regions, high-altitude Himalayan terrain, and the remote Northeast of India.
The MoU aligns with Bharat Forge’s and Windracers’ broader aerospace growth strategy of advancing UAV capabilities in India, supporting innovation, technology transfer and strategic aerospace applications across defence.
About Bharat Forge:
- Bharat Forge Limited (BFL), a Pune-based Indian multinational, is a technology driven global leader in providing high performance, innovative safety critical components and solutions for several sectors including automotive, power, oil and gas, construction & mining, rail, marine, defence and aerospace.
- BFL has presence across 18 manufacturing locations in five countries with the largest repository of metallurgical knowledge and offers full service supply capability to its geographically dispersed marquee customers from concept to product design, engineering, manufacturing, testing and validation.
- To learn more, visit www.bharatforge.com
About Windracers:
- Established in 2017, Windracers is a proud UK-based civil and defence drone manufacturer that designs, builds and operates Windracers ULTRA.
- Windracers ULTRA is the world’s most accomplished dual-use autonomous aircraft, capable of carrying up to 150kg over a distance of up to 1,000km. Windracers ULTRA has already flown thousands of kilometres and delivered real-world missions under pressure.
- Windracers ULTRA is a multi-mission platform that comprises of a low-cost cargo UAV, advanced proprietary autopilot and mission control software and operational services.
- Available as a service or direct purchase, Windracers ULTRA has carried out defence special operations, geological and wildlife surveying, remote parcel and medical deliveries, and precision aerial drops of supplies using parachutes.
- Engineered for routine Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, Windracers ULTRA is a rugged platform that can take-off from and land on a variety of surfaces, and has delivered in some of the world’s most challenging environments, with flights across Antarctica, North America, Europe, and Africa.
- More information can be at www.windracers.com
For all media enquiries, please contact:
Bhakti Sharma, Bharat Forge, Bhakti.Sharma@bharatforge.com, +91 70309 42840
Thomas Boorman, Windracers, tboorman@windracers.com, +44 748 085 0801