DroneThon 2026
A programme by Startup Stairs
A drone-solutions competition run by Drone Tech Multi-State Cooperative Society, with support from Startup Stairs for selected startups; applications run from 2 October to 15 November 2026.
At a glance
| Best for | Indian startups and entrepreneurs building deployable drone solutions |
|---|---|
| Run with | Drone Tech Multi-State Cooperative Society Ltd. |
About DroneThon 2026
DroneThon 2026 is not a Startup Stairs programme. Its owner is Drone Tech Multi-State Cooperative Society Ltd., a member-owned cooperative platform for drone manufacturers, training organisations, universities, cooperatives and rural entrepreneurs. The DroneThon site says Startup Stairs gives dedicated support to promising startups to help them build, scale and deploy solutions.
What you get
- Deployable solutions are presented to industry, investors and deployment partners at the grand finale on 26 January 2027
- Support from Startup Stairs for promising startups
- The page also advertises a royalty to founders on sales, but it does not say who pays it or on what terms
Who can apply
- Indian startups, companies, MSMEs and entrepreneurs
- Teams and individuals with drone solutions
How to apply: Applications are open from 2 October to 15 November 2026 through the DroneThon website.
Where to apply
Other Startup Stairs programmes
- Startup LeagueA startup discovery, evaluation and investor-pitch platform run in cohorts, with a three-stage evaluation, a pitch day and a demo day; its pages disagree on whether Cohort 2 is still open.
- Idea to Funding AcceleratorA paid, 30-day accelerator with expert sessions, one-to-one mentor reviews, masterclasses and an investor demo day, for founders from idea to early revenue.
- Startup Validation SprintA paid, 3-day in-person programme that combines mentoring and tasks and ends in a validated roadmap for idea-stage and early-stage founders.
- Growth Partner ProgrammeA growth partnership in which Startup Stairs takes equity (two tiers) or works for a fixed retainer with no equity (third tier).