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Built in a College Lab, Now Flying High: Pune Startup CerebroSpark Innovations Redefines Drone Tech in India

(Left) Mihir Kedar, (Middle) Ganesh Thorat) cofounders with (Right) Rushikesh Sonawane, Director, CerebroSpark Innovations
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From assembling their first drone in a college lab to building cutting-edge UAVs for agriculture, surveillance, and logistics, the story of CerebroSpark Innovations LLP (CSI) is one of resilience, innovation, and purpose.

Founded by engineering students Ganesh Thorat and Mihir Kedar, CerebroSpark Innovations’s journey began in 2018 at JSPM’s Jayawantrao Sawant College of Engineering, Pune. Ganesh, a native of Solapur, lacked early exposure to competitive tech platforms but was inspired by peers who found recognition through national-level hackathons.

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Determined to pursue a bold project, Ganesh proposed building a drone—a concept that united him with Mihir and seven other passionate mechanical engineering students. Despite limited resources and guidance, the team pushed forward, collecting funds and knowledge from faculty mentors and online sources.

Their first drone’s flight ended in a crash—yet rather than give up, the team rebuilt it overnight. “It was our first major lesson in persistence and problem-solving,” recalls Mihir.

Learning by Exposure
Their traffic-monitoring drone caught the attention of IIT Madras, where they showcased it at an expo. The experience revealed gaps in quality and sophistication. “We saw defense-grade drones made with carbon-fibre frames. That exposure reset our benchmarks,” says Ganesh.

Founding CerebroSpark Innovations

In 2020, amidst campus placement pressures and a shrinking team, Ganesh and Mihir took the leap—incorporating CerebroSpark Innovations LLP. They began prototyping drones during the COVID-19 lockdown and conducted student workshops to sustain operations. Their nano drone ‘CS Pride’ and large-format drone ‘CS Mamba’ were early steps toward product-market alignment.

Ganesh was soon recognised as one of India’s top seven changemakers, gaining visibility and incubation support from AIC-MIT ADT. The duo soon realised they needed to focus not just on tech, but business too.

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First Big Break
Their breakthrough came in 2021 when Sparkonix India enlisted CerebroSpark Innovations to build a custom drone for industrial dust and cobweb cleaning. Despite the looming lockdown, CSI delivered a tailored hexacopter, marking their entry into commercial-grade drone deployment.

Next came a government project in Bihar for surveillance of illegal liquor trade. Initially subcontracted by a local firm, CSI faced delayed payments and operational hurdles. Eventually, they won the project on their own merit, funded by Pune-based supporter Abhishek Rathi. CSI’s custom command-control center now supports drone deployments across seven districts.

Innovation in Agriculture
A newspaper article about a fatal snakebite in a field led Ganesh to explore agriculture drones. Farmer consultations revealed inefficiencies in pesticide spraying—manual spraying took three hours and over 100 liters of water per acre.

After months of field trials and feedback, CSI launched CS Krishi, an agricultural drone that reduces spraying time to five minutes and water use by 90%. It features modular nozzles and attachments for seeding, sapling planting, and fertilizer distribution. Its affordability (₹500–₹800 per acre) and performance (98% time savings) earned quick adoption.

Going Beyond Products
CSI’s model includes post-sale training and servicing, tackling a key gap left by international vendors. “We ensure that every buyer receives DGCA-certified pilot training and quarterly maintenance,” says Ganesh.

The startup has also embraced a franchise model—deploying a CS Krishi drone in each village, operated by two trained locals, creating employment while scaling operations.

At a Glance: CerebroSpark Innovations

  • Founded: 2020
  • Founders: Ganesh Thorat, Mihir Kedar
  • Headquarters: Hadapsar, Pune Team: 25 members
  • Drones Manufactured: 70+
  • Sales: 40+ drones
  • Customer Reach: 200+ farmers across Maharashtra, Bihar, and Delhi
  • Flight Missions: 5000+
  • Sectors Served: Agriculture, surveillance, delivery
  • Training Program: DGCA-certified pilot licensing and drone maintenance

Author

  • Salil Urunkar

    Salil Urunkar is a senior journalist and the editorial mind behind Sahyadri Startups. With years of experience covering Pune’s entrepreneurial rise, he’s passionate about telling the real stories of founders, disruptors, and game-changers.

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Salil Urunkar

Salil Urunkar is a senior journalist and the editorial mind behind Sahyadri Startups. With years of experience covering Pune’s entrepreneurial rise, he’s passionate about telling the real stories of founders, disruptors, and game-changers.

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