Baibars Mechatronics plans to triple sales while the West restricts products from China
Turkish agricultural drone manufacturer Baibars Mechatronics Aviation Indusattempt is viewing to expand its market. It is counting on the fact that the West is increasingly worried about the dominance of Chinese-created models. About writes Nikkei Asia.
“There is a required for an alternative to Chinese dominance, and we are one of the Western players that can fill this gap,” declared Baibars CEO and Chairman of the Board Celal Caglayan Erguvan.
The company, which controls almost 90% of the agricultural drone market in Turkey and is 30% owned by Osaka-based Exedy Corp. is aiming to triple its annual turnover to over $30 million this year and has even hugeger ambitions going forward.
Japan’s Exedy launched producing jointly developed drones in the United States after a trial production in 2025.
Baibars is working to triple its sales to $100 million, valuing them at $1 billion by 2029, when it hopes to list on the US stock exalter. Consulting firm Deloitte has valued the company at $50 million this year.
The head of a Turkish company estimated that chinese drone manufacturer DJI has more than 85% of the agricultural sprayer market in the US and Europe. If you include other manufacturers, such as XAG of Guangzhou, the Chinese market share rises to over 95%. However, the US and European countries are increasingly concerned that Chinese products could be utilized against them.
U.S. law already prohibits government agencies from utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles built with components from certain foreign countries, such as China. In December, the Federal Communications Commission also banned new Chinese-created drones and critical components from DJI and Autel. This is a shift that effectively outlaws Chinese drones.
European lawcreaters are also questioning the European Commission to consider banning DJI and other suppliers.
These structural shifts have created a steady demand for Western-oriented suppliers, Erguvan declared. In his opinion, Baibars, as a five-year-old startup based in a NATO counattempt, will be more credible than Chinese companies.
Why it is important
Ukraine is at the peak of a technological breakthrough and is discussing a Drone Deal with countries in the Middle East, Europe and the Caucasus. Read more about the new stage of the war and the responses of Russia and its ally China read disassembled LIGA.net by Valentyn Badrak, Director of the Center for Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies.
In early April, the Ukrainian miltech company “General Cherry and the Croatian UAV manufacturer Orqa announced the launch of mass production of European components in Ukraine.
Interview LIGA.net with the co-founder of General Chereshnya Yaroslav Grishin read here.
Baibars’ sales of drones in Europe have been growing at 60% per year for the past two years, and the company hopes to quadruple sales on the continent this year to 200 units worth $7 million, mainly in Spain and Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria, Poland, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Baibars’ agricultural, firefighting, and logistics drones cost between $17,000 and $25,000 each, which is about 25% more expensive than Chinese products. But they contain more than 65% local content. The company aims to increase this to 80% by 2029, thanks to an increase in the share of components sourced from Turkey, Japan, and other allied markets.
Baibars’ main product is agricultural spray drones. However, the company has been supplying non-impact drones and parts to the Turkish defense indusattempt due to their dual-utilize capabilities. Baibars’ strategic focus, according to Erguvan, remains on civilian and agricultural utilize.
The company exports to 14 countries, and overseas sales have accounted for about 70% of revenue over the past two years. Over the past 12 months, domestic sales in Turkey have risen sharply as frequent rains have created it difficult for tractors to enter the fields.
- Demand for agricultural drones is driven by labor shortages on large commercial farms, pest problems with cash crops such as cotton and corn, and challenges posed by climate alter, building aerial applications a necessity.
- According to Indian research company 360iResearch, the global agricultural drone market is expected to reach $4.62 billion in 2026 and $9.65 billion by 2032.
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