Not every mission needs a large drone. Sometimes a team just needs to see over the next wall, around the next corner or down the next street, quickly and without being noticed. That is the job of a nano drone.
What counts as a nano drone?
Nano drones are the smallest class of drone, light enough to carry in a pocket or a pouch. India’s Drone Rules, 2021 place drones weighing up to 250 grams in the nano category. Check the current DGCA rules for what that means for registration and permissions in your use case.
How small teams use them
- Close-range reconnaissance: a look over a wall, a ridge or a rooftop before a team moves.
- Building and room clearance: checking a structure from outside before anyone enters.
- Patrol and convoy support: a quick look ahead along a route.
- Training: a low-cost way to build drone skills before moving to larger platforms.
Why size matters
A nano drone can be carried and launched by one person in seconds, with no extra crew or vehicle. It is quiet and hard to spot, and losing one costs far less than losing a larger platform.
The limits
Small size has trade-offs. Nano drones are more affected by wind, carry a single small camera rather than interchangeable payloads, and have shorter range than larger drones. For long patrols or heavy sensors, a larger multirotor or a VTOL fixed-wing UAV is the better choice. Our guide on how to choose a surveillance drone covers how to match the platform to the mission.
What to look for
- A camera sharp enough to identify what you are looking at, not just detect it
- Enough flight time and range for the task, with margin to return
- A controller a soldier or officer can learn quickly
- Secure links and firmware you can trust, ideally designed and supported in India
Vision Nano
Vision Nano is our 250 g nano drone, with a 20 MP camera, 5 km range and 25 minutes of flight time, designed and built in Pune. It was recently featured on DD News’ Defence Dynamics as an example of indigenous drone technology for India’s defence.
