The Author is Former Director General of Information Systems and A Special Forces Veteran, Indian Army

The Indian drone market is projected to grow to $13 billion by 2030. The number of drone startups in India has more than doubled in the past three years to 398, surpassing China's 298. Government initiatives like 'Drone Shakti' have catalysed the sector's growth. This article covers indigenous drone development in India and export of counter-drone systems, plus the concept of drones launching drones and low-cost long range missile development by Ukraine.

Zen Technologies showcased its 'Vyomkavach' AI-driven anti-drone system at the recent Aero India 2025

The Indian Army has awarded a contract to Odisha-based start-up 'IG Drones' for supplying indigenously developed VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) and FPV (First-Person View) drones, according to news reports of January 29, 2025. VTOL drones offer flexibility for operations in rugged terrains without conventional runways, while FPV drones provide real-time reconnaissance capabilities; enhancing Army's intelligence gathering, surveillance, and border security.

IG Drones - Skyhawk

IG Drones' platforms are specifically designed for high-altitude terrains and urban warfare, addressing unique operational challenges faced by the Army. The company expressed confidence in delivering secure systems and that "IG Drones' commitment to excluding Chinese components from their platforms addresses critical national security concerns." It further said IG Drones aims to contribute to this growth while aspiring to elevate India's drone ecosystem globally with innovations like 5G-enabled solutions.

Over the past year, Indian Army's drones procured indigenously were hacked at least twice; first at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh and then at the Line of Control with Pakistan by exploiting their Chinese components. In the first case, the drones didn't take off and, in the second case, the drones changed course and were commandeered by people in Pakistan. The Defence Acquisition Procedure-2020 (DAP-2020) mandates Indigenous Designed, Developed, and Manufactured (IDDM) 50 per cent plus indigenous content (IC) but loopholes exist and manufacturers procure cheap Chinese components skirting restrictions.

In February 2025, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) cancelled three contracts for procuring 400 drones costing ₹230 crore due to concerns over Chinese malware and backdoors. These drones were meant to support logistics along the Line of Actual Control. The Army has implemented stringent verification and certification processes for drone procurement; with checks to ensure that the drones purchased have no Chinese components.

India's 'Tonbo Imaging' is exporting its 'Vault' anti-drone system to Armenia and other customers

Tonbo Imaging - Vault C-UAS

The Indian Navy has selected Bengaluru-based startup NewSpace Research & Technologies (NRT) to develop its Naval Collaborative Combat Air Vehicle (N-CCAV), an unmanned aircraft to operate collaboratively with Navy's MiG-29K/Rafale-M fighters, as per news reports of February 8. The N-CCAV would be based on NRT's 'Abhimanyu' collaborative combat aircraft. The contract includes minimum purchase quantity (MPQ) for a specified number of systems. Development of Abhimanyu has commenced. The Navy chose NRT under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018. Abhimanyu, a low-RCS (radar cross section) design, is to be smaller and lighter compared to 'Warrior' of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL); mandated to deliver manned/unmanned teaming missions with Navy's combat aircraft. Two separate CCA will consolidate in future with Warrior for the IAF and Abhimanyu of the Navy.

Concurrently, the Bengaluru-based 'Dynauton Systems' has developed India's first jet-based autonomous loitering munition – called "Kaatil". Weighing 12 kg, with a wingspan of two metres, payload of one kg and a speed of 600 kmph, Kaatil packs a powerful punch. It can navigate in GNSS denied environment, The fire and forget munition has a CEP of two metres.

India's ideaForge Technology Limited recently launched NETRA 5, a future-proof UAV designed to strengthen global defence and security capabilities. NETRA 5 can enable AI-driven mission workflows, including detection of military assets (bunkers/tanks/bridges/posts/obstacles) plus identify and track moving objects/people in real-time by day and night. Its modular design features a primary payload with dual EO/IR sensors and secondary payload supporting open communication protocol, enabling seamless expansion and customization of payloads like LiDAR, multispectral sensors, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), drop payload unlocking new uses cases like fog penetration, threat detection, precision delivery, target penetration and mapping. Being jamming resistant and ability in GNSS-denied operations, man-portable and deployable in under three minutes, NETRA 5 can undertake 5,000 landings in extreme operational conditions.

Ukraine is developing a long-range missile (upgraded version of its Trembita cruise missile) as substitute to the American ATACMS

Deploying its new naval drone carriers, capable of deploying aerial drones, the Ukrainian navy has launched raids on Russian oil platforms in the Black Sea; a new kind of "satellite-controlled" Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV). These 18-feet long USVs carry several first-person-view (FPV) UAVs, each armed with an explosive's payload. The UAVs, once released, flew toward Russian platforms to deliver their payloads. The attack marked the first known use of drone-carrying USVs in combat; the concept of "drones launching drones" presents a vision of future warfare.

Significantly, Russia's super killer-drone, the 'Lancet-E' loitering munition, which accounts for destroying/damaging nearly 45 percent of NATO artillery systems in Ukraine, was displayed for the first time at the Aero India 2025.

Zen Technologies showcased its Vyomkavach' AI-driven anti-drone system at the recent Aero India 2025. The system is designed to neutralise rogue UAV threats. Equipped with advanced sensors, electronic jammers, and kinetic interceptors, Vyomkavach offers real-time detection and neutralization of drones, including high-threat UAVs like the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and drone swarms. Also displayed was a four-barrel rotary machine gun, engineered for high-intensity combat and anti-drone applications; having a fire rate of 3,500 rounds per minute.

The concept of 'drones launching drones' presents a vision of future warfare

India's 'Tonbo Imaging' is exporting its 'Vault' anti-drone system to Armenia and other customers. Vault is an AI-enabled counter-UAV system, designed to detect, track and neutralise hostile airborne threats like UAVs, RPAs or UAS. Its system integrates advanced technologies to ensure comprehensive counter-UAV defence. The main components and features include: Active and Passive Defence Systems; Electronic Sensing Radar; EO/IR Images; Advanced Tracking and Classification; Neutralization Capabilities; Directional RF Jammer; Soft and Hard Kill Options; Intelligent Sensor Suite. The export of the Vault anti-UAV cutting-edge system represents a landmark achievement in India's defence sector.

Ukraine is developing a long-range missile (upgraded version of its Trembita cruise missile) as substitute to the American ATACMS. The advance version of the missile would be able to travel 650 km as opposed to the 145-km of Trembita. The Trembita can travel at a speed of up to 400 kmph because of its pulsejet engine, which is rarely used in modern-day missiles. The engine, however, produces a lot of heat and 100 dB of sound, which makes the Trembita a desirable target for enemy air defence, particularly MANPADS missiles. The Trembita costs just $10,000 and while its advanced version would cost more than $10,000, the ATACM costs more than $1 million. In 2024, Ukraine unveiled its 'Palyanytsya; drone, which allegedly has a range of about 600 to 700 km.

Concurrently, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is set to take on the production of the Crystal Maze 2 missile under the 'Make in India' initiative. The medium-range air-launched missile designed by Israel that can be launched from the air. It can hit targets with precision avoiding damage to surrounding areas. The IAF has already flight-tested the 250-km missile under supervision of the Strategic Forces Command. Key features of Crystal Maze 2 include: precision strike avoiding collateral damage; attack strongly fortified positions from long distance; usable with different platform, denoting flexibility and effective in different environments; can be used in areas devoid of GPS signals; can be equipped with blast fragmentation or penetration warhead, making it suitable for targeting both surface and heavily fortified underground facilities.