Operation Sindoor and the following few days of military tension with Paksitan have shown the world one thing— the power of India’s drones. Without crossing the Line of Control or international boundary, India hit terrorist infrastructure and eliminated multiple threats.
Be it in drone warfare, layered air defence, or electronic warfare, Operation Sindoor marked a milestone in India’s journey towards technological self-reliance in military operations. India’s Air Defence Systems, combining assets from the Army, Navy, and primarily the Air Force, performed with exceptional synergy. These systems created an impenetrable wall, ruining multiple retaliation attempts by Pakistan.
Autonomous drones with AI-driven decision-making are the future of warfare, and India offered a “teaser” in front of the world of its capacity! In this era of unmanned combat, drones have emerged as the decisive force in modern warfare, and Operation Sindoor bears testimony to this.
From targeted loitering strikes to autonomous surveillance missions across the globe, drones redefine how countries claim dominance and secure their borders. The current war landscape demands precision and decision-making at a pace unthinkable in traditional warfare.
Suicide drones in India-Pakistan tension
India’s strikes targeted key Pakistani airbases like Noor Khan and Rahimyar Khan with surgical precision. Loitering munitions were used to devastating effect, each finding and destroying high-value targets, including enemy radar and missile systems. Loitering munitions also known as Suicide drones or Kamikaze drones are weapons systems that can hover or circle a target area, searching for a suitable target before attacking.
Role played by Drones in Modern Warfare
The integration of drone warfare into India’s military strategy owes its success to years of domestic R&D and policy reforms. Since 2021, the ban on imported drones and the launch of the PLI (Production Linked Incentive) scheme have encouraged innovation.
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes in India offer financial incentives to companies that increase production in specific sectors. These incentives are tied to higher production and incremental sales, and are designed to boost domestic manufacturing, attract investment, and enhance global competitiveness. The schemes target key sectors like electronics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles, among others.
The scheme of Production Linked Incentive for drones and drone components of the Ministry of Civil Aviation was notified on September 30, 2021 with a total incentive of Rs 120 crores spread over three Financial Years, FY 2021-22 to FY 2023-24.
“India’s Defence exports crossed the record figure of about Rs 24,000 crore in Financial Year 2024-25. The aim is to increase the figure to Rs 50,000 crore by 2029, and make India a developed nation and the world’s largest defence exporter by 2047,” as revealed by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
Drone Federation India aims to make our nation a global drone hub by 2030
As global threats intensify, Indian drone makers are increasing indigenous content and localizing their supply chains to reduce dependency on imports. Executives at several of these companies say they are already designing platforms with geopolitical realities in mind.
The Drone Federation India (DFI) is a premier industry body representing over 550 drone companies and 5500 drone pilots. DFI promotes the design, development, manufacturing, adoption and export of Indian drone and counter-drone technology worldwide. DFI enables ease of doing business, promotes the adoption of drone technology, and hosts events like Bharat Drone Mahotsav.
The Drone Federation India aims to make our nation a global drone hub by 2030.
Companies involved in Drone Manufacturing in India
1.Alpha Design Technologies (Bengaluru): Partnered with Israel’s Elbit Systems to build SkyStriker.
2.Tata Advanced Systems offers a full range of integrated solutions across Defence & Security and has served as a trusted partner to India’s armed forces for over six decades
3.Paras Defence & Space Technologies operates within the Defence and Space segments, distinguished by Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDDM) capabilities
4.IG Drones is a Drone Technology Company for manufacturing and R&D of Drones specialised in defence and other industry applications along with provider of drone related services like drone surveying, mapping & inspection by industry experts. The company has partnered with Indian Army, Government of India and several state governments, among others.
According to the Drone Federation of India, Asteria Aerospace is providing surveillance UAVs, Solar Industries and ZMotion Autonomous Systems are supplying the Nagastra Loitering Munition Drone while Tata Advanced Systems is offering the ALS-50 Loitering Munition. Raphe mPhibr is contributing surveillance and logistics UAVs, Adani Alpha Design & Elbit Systems are providing the SkyStriker Loitering Munition Drone, Adani Defence is supplying the Drishti (Hermes 900) surveillance drone and IdeaForge is providing surveillance UAVs.
