SFO Technologies Hands Over PPDS for SARAS MKII
On 16 September 2026, SFO Technologies Pvt Ltd, the aerospace and defence division of NeST Group, handed over the first air‑worthy Primary Power Distribution System (PPDS) for the SARAS MKII aircraft, India’s first indigenous passenger aircraft. The hand‑over ceremony took place at SFO’s Hi Tek Park in Kalamassery, Kerala, and was attended by Dr. N. Jehangir, Chairman and Managing Director of NeST Group, and Dr. Abhay Anant Pashilkar, Director of CSIR‑National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR‑NAL), together with senior CSIR‑NAL scientists.
The PPDS, co‑designed and developed jointly with CSIR‑NAL, will serve as the nerve centre for the 19‑seat SARAS MKII, managing electrical power generated by the aircraft’s twin turboprop engines and distributing it to mission‑critical onboard systems. It incorporates smart monitoring that enables health monitoring of critical components through the central flight computer.
Software for the PPDS was created in‑house by NeST Digital, the software arm of SFO Technologies, which specializes in high‑criticality avionics, automotive and healthcare solutions.
The SARAS MKII program, intended to strengthen regional air connectivity under the Government’s UDAAN scheme and also certified for transport duties with the Indian Air Force, has completed Critical Design Reviews of all systems and is now progressing toward the Aircraft Level Critical Design Review.
Both Dr. Jehangir and Dr. Pashilkar highlighted the significance of the indigenous PPDS for the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision and its role in advancing the nation’s aerospace and defence capabilities.