India’s Drones Leave Their Mark in Real-World Combat with Ultra-High Precision
During an actual combat test amid the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict, India’s military drones demonstrated exceptional accuracy and effectiveness. India launched a series of strikes on May 7 that used drones and missiles to precisely hit nine targets in Pakistan from Indian territory. Over 300 drone threats launched by Pakistan were successfully neutralized by India’s anti-drone systems the next day.
In the past, India’s military drones have mostly been employed for payload delivery, imaging, communication relay, surveillance, reconnaissance, and damage assessment along its borders, particularly with China and Pakistan.
Drones have been used in combat for more than 20 years, but the first notable drone conflict occurred in April 2008 when Russia destroyed a Georgian Hermes 450 UAV made by the Israeli company Elbit. However, when Ukrainian forces sank the Russian warship Moskva in the Black Sea in April 2022 using Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones, drones gained international attention. In response, Russia destroyed US-supplied Abrams tanks with Shahed and FPV (First Person View) drones. This signaled the start of a new era in which drones and cutting-edge technologies played a crucial role in contemporary warfare, raising concerns about India’s own capacity for drone defense.
DRDO and Drone Development
The Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) started developing the Nishant UAVs in 1990, marking the beginning of India’s domestic military drone industry. India relied on imported drones such as the Heron I, Searcher Mk II, and Harop loitering munitions from Israel, which were placed in strategic defense installations, even as it worked on developing its own drones.
The military has not yet verified reports that India used Harop drones in its May 7 attacks on Lahore. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reports that between 1985 and 2014, India accounted for 22.5% of all UAV imports worldwide, with Israel supplying the majority of these imports.
In a major move, India signed a $200 million lease agreement in June 2021 to lease four Israeli-built Heron drones equipped with cutting-edge capabilities like Automatic Taxi-Takeoff and Landing (ATOL) systems and ultra-long-range surveillance cameras to monitor the Ladakh region along the China border. The DRDO and organizations like the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) have been creating domestic drones in addition to these imports. Examples of these projects include Abhyas, Ghatak, Rustom-1, TAPAS, Imperial Eagle, Kapothaka, Lakshya, Golden Hawk, Pushpak, and Slybird.
India’s drone capabilities have also advanced thanks in large part to public-private partnerships (PPP). Notable initiatives include the HAL CATS warrior drone program, which combines manned fighter aircraft with Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) and UAVs for deep penetration strikes and high-altitude surveillance, and Netra, which was created by Mumbai-based IdeaForge in partnership with the Research and Development Establishment (R&DE).
Counter-Drone Systems and Future Developments
DRDO unveiled an anti-drone system in July 2021 that can use both hard kill (laser destruction) and soft kill (communication link jamming) techniques to detect, jam, and even destroy incoming drones. For manufacturing, this technology was given to businesses such as Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
The Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator (AFTD), a fast UAV that can land itself without the need for ground-based infrastructure, was also created by the DRDO. Ghatak is one of the larger, more stealthy UCAVs being developed by the Indian Air Force. A Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV project called Archer-NG is currently underway and is anticipated to improve India’s military prowess.
India’s drone defense infrastructure was further strengthened in October 2024 when the United States and India finalized a $3.5 billion agreement for 31 MQ-9B High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAVs made by General Atomics.
Role of Private Players
Unverified reports claim that India used SkyStriker suicide drones to target Pakistani terror sites during Operation Sindoor. Alpha Design Technologies, a Bengaluru-based business that Adani Defence Systems and Technologies purchased in 2018, is the manufacturer of these drones. The first private UAV manufacturing facility in India and the first outside of Israel to manufacture Hermes 900 UAVs is the Adani-Elbit UAV Complex in Hyderabad.
Leading the way in the domestic military drone market are a number of other private businesses, such as IdeaForge, Tata Advanced Systems, Adani Defence, Paras Defence & Aerospace, and Zen Technologies. Furthermore, JSW UAV Ltd. and Shield AI, a defense technology company based in the United States, are spending ₹800 crore in Telangana to produce the V-BAT UAV.
With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.9%, the military drone market in India is expected to reach $4.08 billion by 2030, having generated $1.53 billion in 2024.
Collaborative Efforts and Innovation
In August 2022, the Army Design Bureau (ADB) and the Drone Federation of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further improve India’s drone capabilities. The goal of this partnership is to progress military drone and counter-drone technology research, development, testing, and manufacturing.
Additionally, to encourage domestic innovation in vital fields like satellite communication, artificial intelligence, and autonomous weapons, the Indian Ministry of Defense has started a number of programs, including the Innovation for Defence Excellence (IDEX) and ADITI schemes. These programs have helped to grow startups that specialize in drone and anti-drone systems.
India’s drone capabilities are developing quickly, and the public and private sectors are collaborating to strengthen defense plans for the future.
CEO, Mavdrones
Pradipta V Mukherjee is the visionary CEO of Mavdrones, driving innovation and growth in the drone industry. With a passion for advanced technology, he leads the company's strategic direction, ensuring Mavdrones stays at the forefront of drone solutions. Under his leadership, Mavdrones has achieved remarkable success, including winning the 'Best Innovation and Technology in Drone Industry' award from ASSOCHAM. Pradipta is committed to revolutionizing the industry through advanced UAV technology, fostering a culture of excellence and forward-thinking within the organization.
