MS Dhoni to be shareholder in drone startup Garuda Aerospace

Garuda Aerospace CEO Agnishwar Jayaprakash said he was an ardent fan of MS Dhoni.

Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been picked as the brand ambassador of drone startup Garuda Aerospace, the company announced on June 6. He will also be one of their shareholders.

Chennai-based Garuda Aerospace had recently announced its plans to support agriculture. The company said in April that it was working on a model to sell drones to village-level entrepreneurs or pesticide and fertilisers retailers.

MS Dhoni, by himself, has also ventured into farming. He owns a farmhouse in Ranchi, where organic fruits and vegetables are grown.

The cricketer said he was delighted to become a part of Garuda Aerospace. “(I) look forward to witness their growth story with the unique drone solutions they have to offer,” the company quoted him as saying in a press note.

Garuda Aerospace CEO Agnishwar Jayaprakash said he was an ardent fan of Dhoni.

“To have him as a part of the Garuda Aerospace family is honestly a dream come true,” Jayaprakash added. "Mahi Bhai is the epitome of dedication and I firmly believe that having Captain Cool on our Cap table adds tremendous value which will motivate our team to perform better.”

Garuda Aerospace deploys 300 drones and 500 pilots across 26 cities. Jayaprakash said the enterprise was on its way to become India's first-ever drone unicorn startup.

Garuda Aerospace is among the four drone startups that had been selected by online food delivery service Swiggy for a pilot project involving carrying out supply runs for its grocery service Instamart.

“(The companies) will replenish stocks between seller-run dark stores and from a store to a common customer point,” Swiggy had said in April. “A deliver partner will then pick up orders from the common point and deliver them to a customer’s doorstep.”

Read:  Swiggy to commence drone trials for Instamart, selects four startups for pilot project