Hyderabad, August 17 | INFRAINTEL Bureau
Hyderabad-based DeepTech and defence-technology startup AkinAnalytics has launched its indigenously developed NIKA2 Kisan Medium Drone, expanding its portfolio of technology-based solutions for agriculture and other field-intensive sectors.
The platform was unveiled in New Delhi by Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who also witnessed a demonstration of the drone and its operational capabilities.
NIKA2 has been designed as a multi-purpose agricultural drone capable of carrying a 16-litre spraying payload and a 12-litre spreading payload. Its interchangeable payload mechanism allows operators to switch between spraying and material-distribution functions, enabling the same platform to undertake multiple agricultural operations.
The drone incorporates terrain-following technology, operational fail-safes and night-flying capabilities. Apart from crop spraying and the distribution of agricultural inputs, the platform can be deployed for aquaculture feed distribution and other field-based applications.
Its terrain-following capability is particularly relevant for plantations and farms located in uneven or sloping areas. Such technology could support agricultural operations in the tea-growing regions of Meghalaya and other hill states, where conventional drone flights can face challenges due to changing ground elevations.
The introduction of NIKA2 forms part of AkinAnalytics’ broader effort to develop deployable technologies for agriculture, aquaculture, plantations, mining, energy, infrastructure and defence. The company is seeking to address operational requirements that involve extensive land coverage, difficult terrain and the collection of field-level data.
Alongside drone manufacturing, AkinAnalytics is developing an artificial intelligence-augmented drone analytics platform and digital-twin technologies. These systems are intended to convert drone imagery and field data into actionable information for asset inspection, measurement, monitoring and operational decision-making.
The company is led by its founder and Chief Executive Officer, Janaki Pulaparthi, a computer science engineer and alumna of the Indian School of Business. The women-led enterprise is focused on developing intellectual property and commercially deployable DeepTech solutions within India.
AkinAnalytics has received support under government and innovation programmes such as NIDHI PRAYAS, the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme and MeitY SAMRIDH. It has also participated in the Innovations for Defence Excellence ecosystem and Stanford Seed Spark, providing the company exposure to domestic and international entrepreneurship networks.
The company operates a Directorate General of Civil Aviation-authorised Remote Pilot Training Organisation in Amalapuram, Andhra Pradesh. The facility links indigenous drone development with pilot training, technical skilling and workforce creation.
According to Pulaparthi, the company’s objective is to develop technologies in India that address practical operational problems. She said NIKA2 had been designed to make drone technology more versatile and useful for farmers while creating capabilities that could eventually serve different industries and international markets.
Through the NIKA2 platform, AkinAnalytics is seeking to contribute to India’s expanding indigenous drone-manufacturing ecosystem. The company’s broader strategy is centred on developing technology domestically, testing it under complex field conditions and subsequently offering validated solutions in global DeepTech markets.
The commercial success of the platform will depend on its affordability, field reliability, availability of trained operators and the extent to which farmers can access drone services without making significant capital investments. Its multi-payload configuration could, however, improve equipment utilisation by allowing a single drone to undertake several agricultural and allied operations.