Jakarta, August 10, 2023
PT Bentara Tabang Nusantara (BETA-UAS), an Indonesian drone manufacturer, and Terra Drone, the world's largest drone service provider from Japan, today announced a strategic partnership to export domestically produced drones to the international market. This collaboration is highlighted by the signing of an agreement for the supply of 40 RAYBE drones during the opening ceremony of the Indonesia Drone Expo 2023, witnessed by the Ministry of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia.
RAYBE is an innovative domestically produced mapping drone with a VTOL configuration, enabling reliable operation in locations with limited open areas. This drone has obtained TKDN certification and is registered in the government's e-catalog, affirming its quality as a trustworthy local drone product.
Michael Wishnu Wardana Siagian, Managing Director of Terra Drone Indonesia, stated, "Based on our experience, RAYBE from BETA-UAS is a solid product with great potential to support our increasingly challenging operations. By placing our trust in local products like RAYBE, we hope the domestic drone industry has greater room for growth, both in terms of performance and reliability."
This partnership also represents a strategic step for BETA-UAS in presenting high-quality local drone technology capable of competing internationally with the export support from Terra Drone.
"We are proud to establish this strategic partnership with Terra Drone in our effort to introduce RAYBE to the global market. This is an important step in strengthening the position of Indonesian local drone technology in the international market," said Indra Permana Sopian, CEO of BETA-UAS.
Besides the international market, there is also a significant demand for commercial drones in Indonesia across various industries. This can be seen from the government's needs in the Complete Systematic Land Registration (PTSL) program by the Ministry of ATR/BPN and the coastal line survey by the Geospatial Information Agency throughout Indonesia using drones.
"We support the domestic drone industry to continue improving its quality and TKDN value to supply the needs and support government programs," said Yan Sibarang Tandiele, Secretary of Ditjen ILMATE, Ministry of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia.
BETA-UAS is a drone design and manufacturing company located in Bandung since 2016. The company has designed various drones for mapping, monitoring, logistics, agriculture, plantation, and defense needs. Among the users of the RAYBE drone who have benefited are PT Pupuk Sriwidjaya, PT Adaro Metcoal, PT Timah, and the Ministry of PUPR.
Tito Tambayong, Managing Partner of Asia Pacific Ventura supporting the financing of this partnership, added, "With the development of automation and AI, all stakeholders, including investors, should start focusing on the potential of domestically controlled drone technology for fulfilling needs and national independence. Technology and drone production is one of the strategic industry sectors whose development is inevitable in various applications. The future is autonomous!"
"The signing of this partnership represents a significant development in the unmanned technology industry in Indonesia. Because the need for drones can now be met by the domestic industry," said Asha Wadya Saelan, Founder of the Association of Unmanned System and Technology (ASTTA).
This partnership also serves as evidence of BETA-UAS and Terra Drone's commitment to supporting the development of the drone industry in Indonesia. It is expected to create new jobs, increase investment in the drone sector, and enhance the competitiveness of the Indonesian drone industry in the international market.