Garuda Aerospace a startup backed by cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni announced on Wednesday that it has secured Rs 100 crore in its Series B funding round. The funding was led by Venture Catalysts and values the company at USD 250 million. The newly raised funds will be utilized to enhance the company’s capabilities in drone production and to scale its operations and its manufacturing infrastructure. A portion of the funds will also be given for completing an advanced R&D and testing center focused on the design and development of defense-grade drones the company said in a statement. This series B funding not only strengthens our capacity to scale manufacturing and innovation but also positions us to accelerate the development of next-generation drone technology said Agnkshwar Jayaprakash Founder and CEO of Garuda Aerospace. This development not only strengthens Garuda Aerospaces position in the Indian aerospace ecosystem but also aligns with the nations broader vision of achieving self-reliance in high-tech defense manufacturing Garuda Aerospace said. A dedicated portion of the newly secured funds will support the expansion of its intellectual property portfolio as well as towards production of a new design facility it added. Garuda Aerospace currently holds a robust portfolio of over 20 patents. This investment is closely aligned with our strategy of supporting homegrown champions that have the potential to transform Indias technological landscape and create significant socio-economic impact said Apoorva Ranjan Sharma Co-founder and Managing Director of Venture Catalysts. With the governments strong emphasis on promoting drone adoption and indigenous manufacturing through initiatives like the Drone Rules 2021 and the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme the market presents a substantial opportunity according to Garuda Aerospace. With drone manufacturing drone-as-a-service (DaaS) offerings and pilot training as a business model  the company caters to a wide array of clients including government agencies agricultural enterprises infrastructure companies and defense establishments providing tailored drone solutions for diverse needs.  (With Inputs From PTI)