Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday visited the exhibition organised as part of the UP-Japan Investment Meet 2026 at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan. He toured various stalls and interacted with exhibitors to understand the technologies and products on display. The exhibition highlighted the growing strength of indigenous innovation, with advanced solutions from the aerospace, defence, agriculture and construction sectors drawing significant attention.
Among the key attractions were Maraal Aerospace's Tejasvaan drone, Escorts Kubota's agricultural machinery, HoverIt's Divyastra Mk-1 loitering munition platform and MKU's ballistic protection equipment. The Chief Minister reviewed the technical features and potential applications of these innovations.
One of the most talked-about exhibits was Tejasvaan, an indigenous fixed-wing UAV developed by IIT Kanpur-incubated startup Maraal Aerospace. Founder Vivek Kumar Pandey said the deep-tech aerospace startup is focused on developing indigenous long-endurance unmanned aerial systems for defence, security and commercial applications.
Tejasvaan is being designed for extended aerial operations and is expected to remain airborne for nearly 12 hours continuously. It is capable of operating at altitudes of around 6,000 metres above sea level and is designed to carry payloads of up to 5 kilograms. The proposed one-way operational range is between 120 and 150 kilometres. According to the company, the platform can also undertake night operations for nearly four hours.
The UAV incorporates technologies such as high-efficiency solar cells, lightweight composite structures, high-energy-density batteries, autonomous flight systems and redundant safety mechanisms. Its potential applications include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), border monitoring, disaster management, communication relay and infrastructure inspection.
Maraal Aerospace is also working on a High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) platform designed for continuous operation of up to 90 days. Such systems can play a strategic role in long-duration surveillance, communication and monitoring missions.
Escorts Kubota Limited showcased a range of agricultural and construction equipment at the exhibition. Atsuya Ota, Product Manager-Agri Solutions, said the company has acquired around 154 acres of land in Uttar Pradesh on a 90-year lease and plans to develop a tractor, construction equipment and parts centre over the next seven years. The proposed investment in the project is estimated at over Rs 2,000 crore.
The company displayed a combine harvester, rice transplanter, compact tractor and diesel genset. Escorts Kubota ranks second in the country in combine harvester sales and is the market leader in rice transplanters. The showcased combine harvester is priced at around Rs 27 lakh, while the rice transplanter costs about Rs 14 lakh. The compact tractor and diesel genset are priced at approximately Rs 6 lakh and Rs 7 lakh respectively. The company manufactures equipment such as cranes, backhoe loaders and tractors in India for the construction sector, while combine harvesters and rice transplanters are imported. Escorts Kubota develops machinery and equipment for the agriculture and construction sectors.
Defence technology was another major focus area at the exhibition. HoverIt Private Limited showcased Divyastra Mk-1, a loitering munition platform developed for precision strike operations.
Flight Testing Engineer Larib said the platform has a proposed operational range of 400-500 kilometres and can fly at altitudes between 800 and 1,000 metres. It offers an endurance of around five hours and is equipped with a thermal imaging camera. Powered by an internal combustion engine, the platform successfully underwent testing by the Indian Army in May 2026.
Divyastra Mk-1 can carry payloads of up to 20 kilograms and has an all-up weight of around 40 kilograms. The platform is capable of speeds ranging from 250 to 350 kmph and is being developed as a Made-in-India solution. The company is part of the UP Defence Corridor initiative. A jet-engine-powered Divyastra Mk-3 variant has also been tested in Kanpur.
The exhibition also featured advanced protective equipment from MKU Limited. The company displayed ballistic helmets, ballistic jackets, night-vision binoculars and thermal weapon sights designed for defence and security personnel.
Senior Sales Manager Soham Seth said the company's journey began with supplying boots during the Kargil War before expanding into ballistic protection equipment. Today, MKU manufactures a wide range of security products and exports them to nearly 90 countries.
The display included modern ballistic protection systems as well as surveillance and target-identification technologies designed to operate effectively in low-light and challenging environments, highlighting the company's growing global footprint in the defence sector.
