Kothari Industrial Corporation Limited (KICL) says India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a Type Certificate for its KOAIR-10L agricultural drone. In a filing to BSE dated October 9, 2026, the Chennai-based company said the certificate was issued under the Drone Rules, 2021.
Key Takeaways
- The DGCA issued Type Certificate T09260000127/00 for KICL’s KOAIR-10L on October 9, 2026, according to the company’s BSE filing.
- KICL describes the aircraft as a medium-class hexacopter with a 10-litre tank for agricultural agrochemical spraying.
- The filing confirms the certificate, but does not provide flight endurance, spray coverage, price, order numbers or commercial deployment details.
- The certification is a regulatory milestone for this model, not evidence by itself of large-scale sales or independently demonstrated field performance.
Who Developed the KOAIR-10L?
The KOAIR-10L is an unmanned aircraft system developed by Chennai-based Kothari Industrial Corporation Limited. The company disclosed receipt of the certificate in a notice to BSE under its listing obligations. The filing identifies the model and certificate number, but does not include a full technical datasheet.
What Did the DGCA Certify?
The company’s filing says the DGCA issued Type Certificate T09260000127/00 for the KOAIR-10L under the applicable provisions of India’s Drone Rules, 2021. KICL describes it as a medium-class hexacopter with a 10-litre tank, designed for spraying agrochemicals in agriculture.
The announcement does not state the drone’s maximum take-off weight, battery configuration, flight time, spray flow rate, nozzle system or coverage per flight. Those specifications should not be inferred from the tank capacity or the medium-class description.
When Was the Certificate Issued?
The certificate date in KICL’s filing is October 9, 2026. BSE’s corporate-announcement listing records the intimation as received and disseminated at 18:11:51 IST that day. The Hindu BusinessLine reported the development later on October 9, citing the company’s exchange disclosure.
Where Does the KOAIR-10L Fit in India’s Drone Sector?
The stated application is agricultural spraying, a segment where drones can be used to apply crop-protection products over fields. DroneUnzip has previously covered the role of agricultural drone sprayers in India; the KOAIR-10L announcement adds a new model-specific certification milestone to that wider market.
Read our background on agricultural drone sprayers in India.
Why Does the Type Certificate Matter?
Type certification is a regulatory step for a defined drone model. For manufacturers, it can be an important part of bringing a product into the regulated market. For prospective buyers, however, certification is only one consideration alongside performance data, operating costs, maintenance, pilot training, after-sales support and suitability for particular crops and conditions.
KICL’s announcement does not establish how many KOAIR-10L units have been sold, whether large-scale deployments have begun, or what results the aircraft achieves in field operations. Those questions require additional company disclosures or independently verifiable evidence.
What Remains Unconfirmed?
The public filing reviewed for this report does not specify the drone’s weight, endurance, charging time, spray width, field productivity, price, delivery schedule or customer orders. It also does not provide independent field-trial results. DroneUnzip will update this report if KICL or the regulator publishes further technical or deployment information.
Sources
Kothari Industrial Corporation Limited, BSE filing: Intimation Regarding Receipt of Type Certificate for KOAIR-10L, October 9, 2026 The Hindu BusinessLine, October 9, 2026
