MS Dhoni To Become A Shareholder In Drone Startup Garuda Aerospace The investment is part of a bridge round, ahead of $30 million Series A round

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Former Indian men's cricket team captain, has been roped into be the brand ambassador and shareholder in Garuda Aerospace, a drone-as-a-service provider. The investment is part of a bridge round, ahead of $30 million Series A round.

"I am happy to be a part of Garuda Aerospace and look forward to witness their growth story with the unique drone solutions they have to offer," said Dhoni while speaking about this association.

"I've always been an ardent admirer of Mahi bhai and to have him as a part of Garuda aerospace family is honestly a dream come true. He has seen what we are trying to achieve and completely believes in our vision. We couldn't have asked for a better ambassador and partner," said Agniswar Jayaprakash, founder and CEO, Garuda Aerospace, in a statement.

"We are closing our $30 million Series A round by the end of July, which will brings our company to a total estimation of $250 million. Since our prime minister inaugurated Drone Mahotsav, we have been receiving a lot of interest. We are on the path to become the India's first drone unicorn startup," added Jayaprakash in a news statement.

Garuda aerospace recently announced its plans to support agriculture and working on a model to sell drones to village entrepreneurs or pesticides and fertilizers retailers. The company claimed that it deploys 300 drones and 500 pilots across 26 cities. It is also among the four drone startups that had been selected by online food delivery service Swiggy for the supply of its grocery service Instamart.