Exclusive: NextLeap Aeronautics CEO reveals India’s AI drone for border security

Bengaluru/ New Delhi: Indian defence technology startup NextLeap Aeronautics is developing an artificial intelligence-enabled autonomous surveillance system that can launch, monitor sensitive locations, identify potential threats and return to its docking station without continuous human intervention.

In an exclusive interview with Public News X Editor Kamran Akhtar, NextLeap Aeronautics CEO and co-founder Alvin Anthony said the company is building what it describes as an autonomous perimeter security solution for defence forces and critical infrastructure.

“We are building India’s first 24×7 automated surveillance system for perimeter security.”

Anthony explained that the system is designed around a drone permanently housed inside an automated docking station.

“This particular drone is basically placed inside a docking station. The drone will launch from the docking station. It will perform a security and surveillance mission.”

According to Anthony, artificial intelligence forms the core of the platform’s surveillance capabilities.

“With the use of artificial intelligence, it will be able to detect humans, vehicles. It will also be able to do facial recognition. It will be able to do number plate scanning and verify it from its own database.”

He added that the drone will be capable of responding autonomously to suspicious activity.

“If there is some sort of target that is entering inside the perimeter, the drone will intelligently go and follow this particular target until it can.”

Anthony said the system is intended to reduce the need for continuous manual monitoring while enabling faster response during security incidents.

According to NextLeap Aeronautics’ official product information, the system is marketed as the Sentinel Drone with Docking Station, an autonomous “drone-in-a-box” solution designed for continuous aerial surveillance of defence installations, airports, industrial facilities, ports, power plants and other high-security locations.

The company says the Sentinel platform combines an autonomous UAV with a weather-protected docking station that automatically recharges the aircraft between missions, allowing scheduled or on-demand operations with minimal operator intervention. The docking station includes built-in environmental sensors, battery backup, climate control and remote connectivity to a ground control centre.

According to the published specifications, the surveillance drone has a maximum flight time of up to 55 minutes, operates at altitudes of up to 4,000 metres AMSL, supports day and thermal imaging payloads, and offers a line-of-sight communication range of up to 10 kilometres. The company also says the platform can optionally operate in electronic warfare environments with RF jamming resistance and GPS-denied navigation capabilities.

Anthony said cybersecurity has been a key design consideration throughout the platform’s development.

“The communication system that we are using in these drones or the navigation system that we are using, the drones are completely resilient to cyber security. They have encrypted communication.”

He added that additional software protection is being incorporated to prevent unauthorised access even if the drone is physically captured.

“Even if somebody gets the drone in their hand, even if they plug in the USB and try to extract data, they will not be able to do it.”

The CEO also revealed that the docking station has already completed its development phase.

“Drone docking station… has already completed trials. Now it is going to get into manufacturing also.”

Beyond defence, NextLeap says the Sentinel platform is intended for use by paramilitary forces, law enforcement agencies, industrial security operators, ports, airports and operators of critical national infrastructure requiring continuous aerial monitoring.

The company believes autonomous drone systems integrated with AI-based analytics could become an important part of future surveillance operations by reducing manpower requirements while providing persistent situational awareness across large and sensitive installations.