Kerala Agritech Startup Fuselage Qualifies for UK’s Global Entrepreneurship

KOCHI:
Agritech startup Fuselage Innovations has been selected for the UK government’s Global Entrepreneurship Programme (GEP), making the Kerala-based company eligible for relocation to the European nation.

Fuselage, which provides drone-based agricultural surveillance and spraying solutions, qualifies for mentorship by experienced entrepreneurs and introduction to key networks, courtesy the GEP that lends business support to non-UK firms.

Specializing in manufacturing customized UAVs and drones for agricultural aerial plant survey and spraying, Fuselage, which was founded by Devan Chandrasekharan and Devika Chandrasekharan, will be guided under GEP on ways to grow internationally. Once shifted to the UK, that country’s Department of Internal Trade will help Fuselage, especially around exporting.

The programme will help the 2020-founded Fuselage build capacity in key business areas, according to Devan Chandrasekharan, Managing Director of the company that functions at the Technology Innovation Centre of the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) in Kalamassery, 20 km north of the city. “The GEP also helps us scale up our exports and make wide connections across the UK tech ecosystem,” he points out.

Fuselage caters to increased efficiency and sustainability of farming businesses by deploying advanced solutions that map and diagnose farmlands through dedicated UAVs/drones. “We seek to augment sustainable agriculture and food security through our digital farmland model to access agronomy knowledge and best farming practices,” the MD adds.

The GEP supports only those overseas companies into innovative technology business and making a “clear commercial proposition” that addresses a large global opportunity. Willing to establish global headquarters in the UK, the firm should have a potentially groundbreaking product or unique service-based technology. With a business plan outlining how the business can expand from a headquarters in the UK, the company must have a customer-validated product in the market or one ready to launch.

KSUM is the nodal agency of the Kerala government for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the state.