NEW DELHI: India is preparing to place military drone orders worth more than $2 billion with domestic manufacturers this year, a move that would mark the country’s largest-ever acquisition of unmanned aerial systems as it seeks to accelerate military modernisation and strengthen operational readiness.
The procurement plans are at an advanced stage, with deliveries expected to be completed within 18 to 24 months.
The proposed orders would represent a significant jump from recent government purchases of tactical-class drones worth about Rs 3,000 crore.
According to a Reuters report, the upcoming procurement could exceed Rs 20,000 crore and may be carried out through a fast-track acquisition process designed to meet urgent operational requirements. The push comes as militaries worldwide increasingly integrate drones into combat operations.
The extensive use of unmanned systems in conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war and recent tensions involving Iran has demonstrated their effectiveness in surveillance, precision strikes and battlefield intelligence, while technological advances have made sophisticated drone platforms more accessible.
India’s military planning has also been shaped by recent hostilities with Pakistan, where drones were deployed extensively, which highlighted the growing importance of unmanned systems in both offensive and defensive operations.
Smit Shah, president of Drone Federation India said that the scale of the next procurement phase would far exceed previous orders. “In the next phase, tactical drone procurements in India may exceed 200 billion rupees, or more than $2 billion,” Shah was quoted as saying.
Industry officials say the armed forces are increasingly relying on emergency and accelerated procurement mechanisms to quickly induct drones across multiple operational domains, ranging from reconnaissance and logistics to loitering munitions and precision-strike missions.
The planned acquisition aligns with the government’s broader push for defence self-reliance and indigenous manufacturing. India now has more than 600 drone and component manufacturers, including established defence companies and a growing number of startups developing advanced unmanned technologies.
Policy reforms and government-backed initiatives aimed at supporting innovation in the defence sector have helped expand domestic production capabilities and attract investment, positioning Indian firms to meet rising military demand. The proposed drone orders also come against the backdrop of a broader modernisation drive.
Move aimed to give push to domestic industry
In March, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for defence procurement proposals worth about Rs 2.38 lakh crore. The planned procurement is seen as efforts to provide a major boost to India’s domestic drone industry while expanding the armed forces’ surveillance, reconnaissance and strike capabilities.