India is undergoing a significant transformation by shifting from a buyer of foreign unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to a developer of indigenous sovereign technologies.

• Recently, a ₹32,350 crore programme was approved to acquire 87 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drones for the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Need for Building Sovereign Capability in UAVs

• Constituent of Core infrastructure: Drones are moving from tactical adjuncts to core infrastructure.
  • E.g., In recent conflict, Iran deployed UAVs for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and air strike missions against Israel.
• Strategic autonomy: Achieving self-reliance in UAV mission systems, electronics, and secure supply chains.
• Military Capability: Recent conflicts between Indo-pak, Indo-china require Sensing and strike, expanding tactical flexibility, and delivering precision.
• Tactical and Logistics: High-altitude posts, island territories, exposed last-mile routes, and theatre-level mobility require UAVs.

Requirements for Building Sovereign Capability in UAVs

• Certification: Ensure safe and reliable military UAV standards.
• Testing Infrastructure: Develop common drone testing and simulation facilities for industry, startups, and defence agencies.
• Procurement: Focus on reliability and performance.
• Trusted Technology: Develop secure indigenous components and software.
• Supply Chains:Build resilient domestic manufacturing ecosystems involving MSMEs, startups, and defence PSUs for critical UAV components.