Indian Drone Company Accuses Chinese Firms of Stealing Autopilot Tech, Urges Govt to Protect its IP Rights and Ban Chinese Imports

An Indian drone company, Zuppa Geo Navigation Technology, has accused Chinese entities of stealing its patented autopilot technology and is urging the Indian government to take swift action to protect its intellectual property rights. The Chennai-based company has lodged a complaint with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), seeking a ban on imports from the accused Chinese firms to safeguard its innovations and ensure fair competition in the Indian market.

Zuppa Geo Navigation Technology alleges that its patented "system of disseminated parallel control computing in real time," a real-time computing architecture crucial for autopilot functionality, has been copied by two Chinese companies: Shanghai-based JIYI Robot and CUAV.

The Indian company asserts that these firms are exporting autopilots to India that directly infringe on its patent, which was granted in April 2024 after a rigorous nine-year scrutiny process.

This case highlights the growing concerns about intellectual property theft and the challenges faced by Indian companies in protecting their innovations in a globalized market. Zuppa Geo argues that unchecked imports of infringing products not only damage Indian businesses but also stifle innovation within the domestic market. The company's appeal to the DGFT underscores the need for strong measures to safeguard Indian intellectual property against foreign exploitation.

The incident comes at a time when India's drone ecosystem is experiencing rapid growth, driven by government initiatives aimed at promoting domestic manufacturing and self-reliance in the drone sector. However, this case exposes the vulnerabilities faced by Indian companies striving to compete in this evolving technological landscape.

Zuppa Geo's petition to the DGFT specifically requests a ban on the import of products from JIYI Robot and CUAV, arguing that this is necessary to protect its intellectual property rights and ensure a level playing field for Indian companies in the drone market. The DGFT's response to this complaint will be closely watched, as it could set a precedent for future cases involving intellectual property rights protection in India's rapidly growing technology sector.

 

[Gentleman]

Why are you not stealing from other countries' companies? I would be delighted if my nation followed China's example of stealing from other nations; if not from the USA and China, at least from Turkey.

 

[M S Chatterji]

Chinese are copy masters. Their whole world is built on copy and export.

 

[সৌম্যদীপ]

Why are you not stealing from other countries' companies? I would be delighted if my nation followed China's example of stealing from other nations; if not from the USA and China, at least from Turkey.

Just to add to the conversation US in the beginning years stole massively from Europe particularly UK to kick start its industrial revolution. So did Japan. So contrary to the current narrative it looks like you need to be agressive in the beginning to get to the same level playing field after which I'm sure India will innovate.

 

[সৌম্যদীপ]

It's a very well known tactics from Chinese firms. They've set up dummy firms to copy even the most basic trendy products in Amazon sellers or Walmart stores and sell it a steep discount thus bankrupting the poor sellers. Moreover the manufacturing of tech products in China is huge they've the know how I wouldn't be surprised that this is some old DJI employee who has seen market opportunity so they'll build in scale creating employment in China and also destroying it in India. And they know quite well how long it'll take for our government to respond to the complaints before that our Indian firm will be out of business. We've to be very agressively defend our companies and steadily build up our manufacturing base, we've already lost the FMCG and internet market to Americans who are exploiting the strategic asset to spread propaganda, there's still time before it's too late.

 

[Prince singh Rawat]

Just to add to the conversation US in the beginning years stole massively from Europe particularly UK to kick start its industrial revolution. So did Japan. So contrary to the current narrative it looks like you need to be agressive in the beginning to get to the same level playing field after which I'm sure India will innovate.

It was Germany from where they stole majority of tech after ww2 and German scientists were the reason they made nuclear bomb and landed man on moon

 

[Pad UwU]

Chinese are copy masters. Their whole world is built on copy and export.

That's how one of the reasons innovation flourish... Remember the gun powder.... European countries try to steal it from Chinese Empire after that they invented guns and cannon that use against China after a millenia of colonization of other territories 🙃

 

[Yap]

It is a joke that accusation has been leveled on Chinese drone manufacturers of copy India makes...Do you Indians know that China has been marketing drones to customers worldwide for the last 2-3 decades, long before India knew anything about drones?