Dhoni lends his name to low-cost drone called Droni, after investing in aerospace startup

More than two years after retirement, former team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s brand valuation still stands at over Rs 450 crore, while he has invested in seven businesses. The man known for his helicopter shot that sent the ball flying beyond the stands, is also a stakeholder in a drone startup Garuda Aerospace. After being elevated to legendary status in Indian cricket, Dhoni now has a low-cost drone named after him, called Droni.

From investor to brand ambassador

With almost 50 brands in his kitty, captain cool Dhoni has endorsed everything from edtech to real estate and biscuits to fantasy sports. Apart from being the brand ambassador for Garuda Aerospace, he is also a stakeholder in the startup with an undisclosed sum invested this year. The company provides drone cameras for agriculture, mapping, surveying, public announcements and pipeline maintenance.

Garuda flying high on agricultural demand

Drone sales turnovers surged by as much as six per cent in 2020-21, as they went past the Rs 300 crore mark in India. This has encouraged Garuda to focus on markets beyond Indian borders, and it’s already set to export 12,000 drones to Malaysia. From the agricultural sector alone, Garuda Aerospace is expected to net a business of more tha Rs 1000 crore, and in addition to that it has government and industrial orders.

Apart from being approved as a remote pilot training organisation by India’s aviation authority the DGCA, Garuda had also deployed its drones for relief work during the recent Assam floods.

No stranger to controversial investments

Although Droni has been one of the cricketers with high star power, he has had his fair share of controversies. In 2017, the former Indian captain had received a notice for endorsing two rival fitness chains. He was also embroiled in the Amrapali fiasco, where he endorsed a real estate developer who later defrauded homebuyers, and had allegedly diverted funds to pay his fees. His wife Sakshi Dhoni was also found to be a 25 per cent stake holder in the firm.