India is preparing to buy military drones worth more than Rs 20,000 crore (about $ 2 billion) from indigenous companies this year. If this deal is completed, it will be the biggest drone purchase in the history of the country. According to sources in the Drone Federation of India (DFI), work on this procurement plan is going on at a fast pace and delivery of drones can start within the next 18 to 24 months. Recently the government had placed orders for tactical drones worth Rs 3,000 crore, while the next phase could be worth more than Rs 20,000 crore.
According to sources, this purchase can be done under fast-track or emergency procurement process so that the immediate needs of the army can be met quickly. This initiative of India has come at a time when the importance of drone warfare has increased rapidly in recent years. During Operation Sindoor, the Russia-Ukraine war and the Iran-US Israel war have shown that even low-cost drones can have a big impact on the battlefield. This is the reason why the Indian Army is now emphasizing on inducting drones on a large scale.
More than 600 companies are making drones in India
Drones play the role of ‘force multiplier’ in modern warfare. These can perform multiple missions like surveillance, target identification, precision strikes, logistics supply and loitering munitions. According to sources. At present, more than 600 companies are manufacturing drones and their parts in India, out of which more than 100 companies are working for the defense sector.
Along with big defense groups, many startups are also emerging rapidly in this field. The central government is promoting indigenous defense manufacturing under the ‘Self-reliant India’ campaign. For this, financial and technical assistance is being provided to startups and private companies through schemes like iDEX. Drones will become a central part of the Indian Army’s war strategy in the coming years and this procurement program can prove to be a major change in the country’s defense sector.
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