Cellegant raises $275K to build hydrogen-powered drones in India

What's the deal? Cellegant, an IIT Gandhinagar professor-founded startup, has raised US$354.4K (roughly $275,000) to develop indigenous hydrogen fuel-cell systems for drones. Gujarat Venture Finance Limited (GVFLDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →) led the round through its Prarambh Fund Trust, alongside CoCreate Aarambh and IIEC, IIT Gandhinagar's incubator.

What's the endgame? The company builds hybrid hydrogen fuel-cell electric drivetrains designed to keep drones airborne longer, cutting reliance on conventional batteries and imported technology. Its immediate priority is to demonstrate a 35kg hydrogen-powered drone.

Why now? Founder Dr. Atul Bhargav, a professor at IIT Gandhinagar, found that while India had fuel-cell expertise, turning it into complete, application-ready systems remained difficult. The funding will push the 35kg drone programme from technology readiness level three to six over the next six to twelve months.

What's the bigger use case? Beyond drones, the technology targets autonomous robots, high-altitude heavy-lift drones, humanoid robots, marine and underwater vehicles, and stationary power applications across civilian and strategic sectors.

"What interests us about Cellegant is its focus on a clear challenge: powering unmanned systems for longer durations without compromising performance," said Mihir Joshi, managing director of GVFL.

The signal: The round reflects investor appetite for research-led deep-tech that reduces India's dependence on imported components in strategically sensitive sectors like defence and surveillance.

Read more: indiatechnologynews.in

Image credit: Idaho National Laboratory