India-based Skylark Drones and Sensonic have formalised an agreement to integrate autonomous drone operations with distributed fibre optic sensing for railway infrastructure monitoring.
The companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at International Railway Equipment Exhibition (IREE) 2025 in New Delhi, India.
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The collaboration aims to enhance the digitalisation of railway operations and maintenance, aiming to prevent and minimise service delays for safer passenger journeys.
The partnership will focus on enabling real-time data detection and monitoring to support railway safety, security, and operational continuity.
The collaboration will use Sensonic’s vibration sensing technology, which repurposes existing fibre optic cables as acoustic sensors along rail networks.
By combining this system with Skylark Drones’ autonomous platforms and software, the companies plan to provide railway operators with added monitoring tools to detect and respond to security threats, natural hazards, and maintenance needs.
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By GlobalDataSensonic CEO Ashish Upadhyay said: “Sensonic is proud to combine our cutting-edge fibre optic sensing technology with Skylark’s ability to respond rapidly and autonomously via drones to enhance both rail safety and security.
“By combining distributed acoustic sensing and advanced Bharat series of drones, we’re enabling real-time detection and monitoring capabilities along the rail corridor. This actionable intelligence is key to building safer, smarter, and more resilient transit systems.”
Skylark Drones develops and supplies drone-based solutions for various sectors and operates as an Indian full-stack provider in the domain.
Sensonic, a member of the Kaynes Technology group, delivers distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) solutions that combine fibre optic technology with AI for continuous infrastructure surveillance.
Skylark Drones co-founder Mrinal Pai said: “At Skylark Drones, we see the integration of drones with distributed acoustic sensing and other IoT networks as a paradigm shift from reactive to proactive railway operations.
“Our fully autonomous Bharat Series drones can be deployed in less than one-third the time required for manual intervention, and at significantly lower costs.
“Together with Sensonic, we’re demonstrating how intelligent aerial systems can make critical infrastructure safer, smarter, and more resilient.”
