Drones, Swarms, And Lasers: Inside India's Unmanned Warfare Push
This 4-part drone series looks at the history of drones, their use cases, and how they've transformed modern warfare, reshaping military strategy and countermeasures.
Published : December 19, 2025 at 6:21 PM IST
The Drone Story - Part 3: India has made impressive strides towards achieving self-reliance in defence technologies, and it is now adapting to the changing warfare landscape where non-contact technologies are deciding the outcome. India is not only deploying drones but also modernising its military and investing in the institutions, industries, and strategies necessary for long-term autonomy.
“Future wars will increasingly be non-contact and stand-off conflicts,” says Vijay Kumar Saraswat, former Director General of DRDO and current member of NITI Aayog.
While highlighting India’s defence self-reliance where the country shifted from 70 per cent import dependence to 60 per cent indigenous production in just a decade, he says that the next frontier of self-reliance lies in advanced, non-contact technologies, including not only long-range air-to-air missiles and laser systems (Directed Energy Weapons) but also high-altitude, long-endurance UAVs and large-scale deployment of drones capable of operating in swarms—hundreds at a time—to saturate enemy airspace.
The global shift toward drone-driven warfare (as seen in Ukraine vs Russia, Armenia vs Azerbaijan, and Israel vs Iran) has made one thing clear—the countries leading the future of unmanned systems are those that can innovate fast, build sustainably, and adapt their military strategies with the evolving technology. For India, the stakes are especially high as active conflict zones and persistent border tensions surround the country.
Military drone ecosystem in India
India’s drone sector has rapidly evolved following the introduction of the Drone Rules 2021, which streamlined regulations to foster innovation and deployment. Meanwhile, the Drone Shakti Mission, announced in the Union Budget on February 1, 2022, is promoting drone startups, encouraging Drone-as-a-Service (DrAAS) models, and fostering growth in the drone ecosystem by supporting incubators and public-private partnerships across sectors, including defence.
According to Stimson, by mid-2024, India inducted approximately 2,000 to 2,500 drones into its fleet, with total spending estimated between $361.45 million and $421.69 million. The fleet is largely composed of Israeli-made reconnaissance UAVs like the IAI Searcher and Heron, as well as loitering munitions such as the Harpy and Harop. India signed a deal for around $3.5 billion with the US in October 2024 to acquire 31 MQ-9B Predator drones, which are high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) UAVs.
Alongside imports, India has developed several indigenous platforms, including the Nagastra-1 suicide drone, Rustom-2 medium-altitude long-endurance UAV, and the Archer-NG armed tactical drone—all of which have demonstrated operational capabilities.
According to SP Aviation, India is home to 270 drone startups, and the sector could grow into a ₹5,000 crore industry by 2026, positioning the country as a global drone hub by 2030. However, only a few of these startups currently possess the advanced technologies and ruggedised equipment needed to meet military requirements.
Speaking at the Bengaluru Tech Summit, Yeshwanth Reddy, co-founder and CEO of Unmanned, said that the biggest weak point in the drone industry is the supply chain, where they have to depend on imports even for basic components such as batteries, sensors, motors, and silicon chips. While acknowledging that India’s aerospace ecosystem has begun to take shape, he emphasised the importance of initiating subsystem-level innovation within the country. He further noted that developing these foundational capabilities domestically is crucial for the future of aerospace and would provide significant long-term benefits for the nation’s interests.
Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development & Sustenance) Lt Gen Rahul R Singh also acknowledged these challenges and said, “Many critical drone parts, especially flight controllers, are being imported. There's always a threat of malware or backdoors in such components, which is why a secure and self-reliant drone ecosystem is non-negotiable,” he said.
Lt Gen Singh confirmed that the Army, in consultation with the Ministry of Defence, is finalising a comprehensive Drone Framework, which will focus on incentivising domestic production, removing systemic vulnerabilities, and easing testing protocols.
Meanwhile, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is actively developing loitering munitions, also known as Kamikaze drones, to bolster indigenous defence capabilities. Earlier this year, DRDO carried out flight trials of UAV Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3 in the National Open Area Range (NOAR), a test range in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
In a major boost to India’s defence capabilities, @DRDO_India has successfully carried out flight trials of UAV Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3 in the National Open Area Range (NOAR), test range in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 25, 2025
Congratulations to DRDO and the industry… pic.twitter.com/KR4gzafMoQ
India is also advancing swarm tactics, designed to deploy large numbers of small UAVs simultaneously to overwhelm enemy air defences. In 2021, the Indian Army showcased its capabilities by deploying a swarm of 75 drones to carry out coordinated attacks across a 50-kilometre range. Building on this progress, in 2023, New Space Research and Technologies delivered a 100-drone swarm specifically designed for battlefield deployment.
Anti-drone systems in India
Just like its drone strength, India is also advancing in anti-drone systems. The country has already developed a robust suite of counter-drone technologies to address growing UAV threats, which include:
D4 System (Drone Detect, Deter and Destroy): Jointly developed by DRDO and BEL, this operationally proven system detects, tracks, and neutralises rogue drones using radar, electro-optical sensors, RF jamming, GPS spoofing (soft kill), and laser weapons (hard kill). It includes a command centre with real-time optical/thermal imaging and RF spectrum display.
SAKSHAM System: In October 2025, the Indian Army began inducting the indigenous SAKSHAM Counter-Unmanned Aerial System, developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), to strengthen low-altitude air defence. The AI-powered system integrates real-time detection, tracking, and neutralisation, with features like 3D battlefield visualisation, predictive threat analysis, and coordinated soft/hard kill responses..
Bhargavastra System: Successfully test-fired in May 2025, this homegrown counter-swarm solution, developed by Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL), uses unguided micro rockets (20-meter lethal radius) and guided micro-missiles for layered defence. It’s designed for versatile deployment, including high-altitude terrains above 5,000 meters. It has a detection range of 6-10 km and a neutralisation range of up to 2.5 km, and can also be equipped with jammers and spoofers.
In an effort to further boost the country's defence against enemy drones, the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force are going to place orders for 16 indigenous drone detection and interdiction systems, which would be capable of hitting unmanned aerial systems at 2 km with a 10 kW laser beam.
The DRDO is also developing long-range laser-based drone detection and interception systems. It successfully test-fired a 30 kW direct energy weapon system, Shahastra Shakti, which can target systems at a range of 5 km, and is carrying out its trials with the involvement of the Indian defence forces. With this achievement, India joins the ranks of the US, China, and Russia—nations that have demonstrated similar capabilities.
Drone power takes flight in the Indian army
Reflecting the increasing significance of unmanned systems in modern warfare, the Indian Army is enhancing its operational capabilities by integrating drones into its military strategy, providing training to ensure that every soldier is proficient in drone operations. Dedicated drone training centres have been established at key military academies, which include the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun; Infantry School, Mhow; and Officers Training Academy, Chennai.
During the 26th Kargil Vijay Diwas, Chief of Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi highlighted the importance of drones. He announced that each infantry battalion will have a dedicated drone platoon and artillery regiments will be equipped with counter-drone systems and loitering munitions.
The Border Security Force (BSF), which guards India's borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, is training special units of "drone commandos" and "drone warriors" for modern warfare involving remote-controlled aerial platforms, with plans to deploy them in missions such as Operation Sindoor. The 'School of Drone Warfare' was inaugurated by BSF Director General Daljit Singh Chawdhary at the officers' training academy of the force in Tekanpur, Madhya Pradesh, in September 2025.
In the same month, the Spear Corps under Eastern Command of the Indian Army conducted Exercise 'Drone Kavach' in the forward areas of Eastern Arunachal Pradesh, showcasing state-of-the-art drone technologies and counter-drone systems alongside the Indian Army's combat readiness for the next generation of drone warfare.
A total of 380 infantry battalions have been equipped with drone platoons, each consisting of at least four surveillance drones for reconnaissance and six armed drones capable of offensive operations, including Kamikaze drones and precision ammunition dropping UAVs.
India is also working on scaling its drone manufacturing and testing systems. The Indian Army joined hands with Bengaluru-based IndyASTRA to fast-track the development of AI-enabled drone systems for land operations. Earlier this year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the Raphe mPhibr Drone Manufacturing Unit and Defence Equipment and Engine Test Facility in Noida.
More than a tool of war
While India and the world adapt to the changing landscape of war, where unmanned aircraft spell disaster, the story of drones does not end at the battlefield’s edge. The technology that can outmanoeuvre enemy air defences and strike targets from a distance is also reshaping life far from conflict zones, helping map floodplains in minutes, spraying seeds across land, delivering insulin to villages cut off by rivers and mountains, and helping forest guards protect endangered wildlife from poachers.
In addition to unlocking an unmanned aircraft’s potential on the battlefield, India is also using the technology for nation-building in ways that once seemed unimaginable. More on this will follow in part four.
| Also read: The Drone Story Part 1 - Sky On Fire | From Venice Balloons To AI-Powered Drone Swarms, The Rise Of Unmanned Warfare |
| Also read: The Drone Story Part 2 - Eyes In Sky, Shields On Ground | Drones Vs Anti-Drone Systems Lock In A Game Of Cat And Mouse |
