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Express Tribune
04-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
India unveils $234m drone scheme in response to Pakistan conflict
A view shows Falcon, a surveillance drone, on display at the drone exhibition at Bharat Drone Shakti 2023 organised by the Indian Air Force and Drone Federation of India at the Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad, India, September 25, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS Listen to article India will launch a $234 million incentive programme for civil and military drone makers to reduce their reliance on imported components and counter rival Pakistan's programme built on support from China and Turkey, three sources told Reuters. India's push to build more home-grown drones stems from its assessment of the four-day clash with Pakistan in May that marked the first time New Delhi and Islamabad utilized unmanned aerial vehicles at scale against each other. The nuclear-armed neighbours are now locked in a drones arms race. New Delhi will launch a 20 billion Indian rupees ($234 million) programme for three years that will cover manufacture of drones, components, software, counter drone systems, and services, two government and one industry source, who did not want to be named, told Reuters. Details of the programme have not been previously reported and its planned expenditure is higher than the modest 1.2 billion rupees production-linked incentive scheme New Delhi launched in 2021 to promote drone start-ups, which have struggled to raise capital and invest in research. India's civil aviation ministry, which is leading the incentives programme, and defence ministry did not immediately respond to e-mails seeking comment. Reuters previously reported that India plans to invest heavily in local industry and could spend as much as $470 million on unmanned aerial vehicles over the next 12 to 24 months, in what government and military officers said would be a staggered approach. In the past, India has mainly imported military drones from its third-largest arms supplier, Israel, but in recent years its nascent drone industry has scaled up its cost-effective offerings, including for the military, although reliance on China continues for certain components such as motors, sensors and imaging systems. Through the incentives, India is aiming to have at least 40% of key drone components made in the country by the end of fiscal year 2028 (April-March), the two government sources said. "During (the India-Pakistan) conflict there was quite a lot of use of drones, loitering munitions and kamikaze drones on both sides," Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said last week. "The lesson that we've learned is that we need to double down on our indigenisation efforts to ensure that we build a large, effective, military drone manufacturing ecosystem." India bans import of drones but not their components and the government has planned additional incentives for manufacturers that procure parts from within the country, the two government sources said. The state-run Small Industries Development Bank of India would also support the incentive programme by providing cheap loans for working capital, research and development needs for the firms, the government sources added. Currently, there are more than 600 drone manufacturing and associated companies in India, according to estimates shared by an industry source involved in the discussions for the incentives programme.
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Time of India
Illegal drone sales raise alarm over agriculture, national security
Hyderabad: Certified drone manufacturers in India have raised serious concerns over the widespread use and illegal sale of non-type certified drones, particularly those imported from China. These uncertified UAVs, industry representatives warn, violate the DGCA's Drone Rules 2021, endanger public safety, and could compromise national security. Smith Shah, president of the Drone Federation of India, said the problem lies not in the absence of policy but in the failure of enforcement. "The policy is in place. These drones are usually brought into India through misdeclaration—either as separate parts or under misleading labels—and are assembled locally. When a drone is unregistered and flown without a licensed pilot, and especially if it can carry a few kilograms of payload, it becomes a potential national security threat," he said. The influx of cheap Chinese drones, especially for agricultural use, has increased over the last few years. These drones often lack critical safety features like geo-fencing, return-to-home, and auto-landing, and are being operated by individuals without any formal pilot training. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Doutor: Manter a massa muscular após os 50 anos depende deste hábito noturno Saúde em Foco Undo "A dumped Chinese drone is sold to a farmer, and when there is a malfunction or crop damage, the seller disappears," Shah said. The lack of trained operators has also led to uneven spraying of pesticides, which causes phytotoxicity and threatens crop yields. Because non-TC drones have not undergone efficacy tests or chemical residue checks, their use on crops could lead to violations of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs). This risks contaminating produce and triggering export rejections, which could affect India's processed food chains and agricultural exports. According to Shah, the DGCA's Drone Rules 2021 clearly prohibit the use of non-type certified drones, and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has banned the import of fully built drones. However, enforcement by customs, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, and aviation regulators remains weak. "There is a prohibition. Customs, DRI, and DGCA must enforce it strictly," he said. The issue also extends to the misuse of govt-backed subsidy schemes like Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), and the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF). Certified drone sellers noted that sellers of non-TC drones have been misleading farmers by using forged documentation to claim eligibility for subsidies and bank loans. When loans are rejected or drones fail to perform, farmers are left without support or recourse. The role of YouTube influencers and online dealers is worsening the problem. "There are influencers openly promoting illegal drones and enabling their sale through WhatsApp and other informal channels," a drone firm representative from Hyderabad said. These sellers often disappear after transactions, leaving buyers without service, support, or warranties. Penalties are possible under existing drone regulations, but industry insiders say enforcement remains rare. "These violations not only hurt certified players who invest heavily in R&D and training but also erode trust in the technology itself," the representative of the Hyderabad firm said.
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Business Standard
11-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
The biz of drone power: Startups, traditional giants fuel India's arsenal
Whether it's the fight between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Russia's continuing invasion of Ukraine, or the military conflict between India and Pakistan last week, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles have proved crucial for gaining strategic objectives. India's Operation Sindoor against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan showed its capability in drone warfare. SkyStriker, a suicide drone made by a company in Bengaluru in partnership with an Israeli firm, and Harop, a kind of Israel-made 'loitering munition', made headlines. India has built its drone arsenal through global tieups and policy reforms like a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme and an import ban from 2021. India first used military drones, for surveillance, during the Kargil war in 1999. In 1849, Austria became the first to use unmanned balloons with explosives during the siege of Venice. Industry experts say that India is going to be one of the fastest-growing global markets for drones: for civil and defence purposes. The country's drone market revenue will expand from nearly $500 million in FY24 to $11 billion by FY30, according to estimates made by the Drone Federation of India. "With logistics and a lot of strategic sectors of defence being unlocked, this is going to be a realistic target. Out of this, defence [drone revenue] will be the highest at around 30 per cent, logistics around 25 per cent, and agriculture around 20 per cent. This $11 billion includes drone sales, component sales, services and the leasing ecosystem," said Smit Shah, president of the Drone Federation of India (DFI). There were hardly any Indian companies in the drone sector five years ago but there are 550 now. Out of this lot, more than 100 companies are specifically working in the defence sector, according to DFI's data. Besides startups, traditional industry majors like Adani, Tata, Murugappa, and Paras have joined the fray through global tie-ups. SkyStriker is manufactured by Alpha Design Technologies in Bengaluru in partnership with Israel's Elbit Systems. Adani Defence Systems and Technologies has a 26 per cent stake in Alpha Design. Tata Advanced Systems supplies to the Indian military long-range 250 km autonomous suicide drones capable of operating from altitudes of 10,000 feet. Paras Defence & Space Technologies has joined hands with HevenDrones in Israel to come up with hydrogen-powered and mission-specific drones. 'Anti-drone systems are passive in detection. [The system] detects and uses forms of kinetic force to neutralise enemy drones,' said Sambit Parida, co-founder and chief technology officer of IG Drones, a prominent player in the technology. Anti-drone systems spoof their locations, making them the first level of deterrence against enemy drones. GPS spoofing involves generating and transmitting fake signals to trick a drone into believing it's receiving a genuine signal, producing false positioning data that leads to inaccurate navigation. Parida said that besides the military, advanced drones are of use in policing and border security. Gurugram-based IG Drones makes Jaga, an advanced surveillance drone optimised for security and monitoring. Its other products include Skyhawk VTOL and Skyfire. The Indian Air Force (IAF) in March signed a contract with IG Drones to adopt the company's Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) system to track and manage tools at airbases. As part of India's plans for self-reliance in defence technology, BLE will be first used at the Gwalior airbase before its planned expansion to other IAF and Army facilities. "Recent conflicts have proven that unmanned systems provide real-time intelligence and operational flexibility. This shift is being driven by rapid advances in AI (artificial intelligence), autonomy, and sensor technology, making drones increasingly vital for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and combat roles," said Ashok Kumar Gupta, executive chairman of Optiemus Group. The company last month launched four advanced drones providing solutions for a wide range of defence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations. "As AI and autonomous systems evolve, drones are becoming even more versatile and strategic, enabling armed forces to respond swiftly to emerging threats and operate in environments that are inaccessible or too dangerous for humans," said Gupta.
