Drone Technology: India’s Leap Towards Defence Atmanirbharta

The emergence of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones as a potent tool for tilting the balance of power during military conflicts has brought the focus of major countries around the world to strengthen their drone technology. As India aims to become a global hub of the drone industry by 2030, drone technology will play an integral role in bolstering India’s defence and security systems to achieve the goal of ‘atmanirbharta’ in defence. Beginning with tracing the emergence and evolution of drones in modern warfare, this article analyses India’s growing leap in developing drones and counter-drone systems, especially for defence purposes and examines the security concerns that necessitate the development of the drone sector to augment India’s military capabilities. It also discusses the measures taken by New Delhi to strengthen and develop the technology architecture for drone production in the country and analyses the hurdles and challenges that exist. This article argues that given the unholy nexus between India’s two hostile neighbours, it no longer remains a matter of choice but becomes a matter of conviction for India to bolster its drone capability and become atmanirbhar. Therefore, it is imperative that India utilise its pool of talent in innovation and technology through the synergy among the industry, academia and government to work towards achieving the objective of self-sufficiency in designing and manufacturing world class drones which could propel India’s defence sector to new heights, thereby helping it become atmanirbhar to face any adversity in future.

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