Pilerne based aerospace and advanced composites manufacturer Kineco Limited has entered into a strategic partnership with SkyDrive Inc., a leading Japanese developer of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
The collaboration was announced at the Farnborough International Airshow 2026, where SkyDrive revealed that Kineco will develop and manufacture high-performance composite aerostructures for its production aircraft, the SKYDRIVE (Model SD-05).
The partnership marks Kineco Aerospace's first dedicated production eVTOL programme, signalling the Goa-based company's entry into the rapidly expanding Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry.
According to the companies, Kineco's role will include tool design, prototype development, certification support, and serial production readiness, supporting SkyDrive's transition from prototype testing to large-scale commercial production.
Manufacturing will be carried out at Kineco's facility in Goa, India, using its newly installed 3-metre x 12-metre Scholz Autoclave, one of India's largest aerospace composite processing systems. The infrastructure is expected to play a key role in supporting future production scale-up.
SkyDrive aims to begin full-scale commercial operations of its electric aircraft by 2028, following successful demonstration flights, including those conducted during Expo 2025 Osaka.
With more than three decades of expertise in advanced composite engineering, Goa-based Kineco supplies components to the railway, aerospace, defence, marine and renewable energy sectors. The company has built a strong reputation for manufacturing complex, flight-critical composite structures for leading global aerospace customers.
