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Drones are preferred in conflicts globally today because of their volume, cost, and the fact that humans need not get closer to targets | Photo Credit: alxpin
It was a full-scale drone war on the night of May 8. Pakistan reportedly deployed more than 300-400 drones in India’s direction, which India said it had thwarted using “kinetic and non-kinetic means”.
Anticipating deeper use of drones going forward -as has been the case in recent wars globally- India is building deeper capabilities and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) companies are engaging with officials, businessline has learnt. The details of the discussions are not elaborated for security reasons.
“UAVs and counter-UAV systems are being used very extensively in the current conflict, and while there are some parts we all can see, a lot is happening in terms of constant surveillance, which we cannot view,” Vishal Saxena, Vice President, Business Development, ideaForge, said.
ideaForge supplies UAVs for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance to the defence. He expects more demand for products with electronic warfare features that support software changes in shorter time frames.
Another Chennai-based drone start-up, which is a supplier of indigenous anti-drone technology to the Armed Forces, notes that government procurement of new-age defence technology has increased in the last few years, thanks to initiatives like iDEX. UAV systems such as Kamikaze, Loitering Munition, and drone surveillance tools are a big part of India’s arsenal, the founder said.
Sai Pattabiram, founder and MD of Zuppa Geo Navigation Technologies, says that Pakistan’s increased use of drones suggests that the conflict could go in the direction of the Russia-Ukraine war, and the government too recognises it and is preparing accordingly. “When it comes to drone warfare, the technology changes once every few weeks, and countries need to constantly build capabilities,” he adds. Zuppa is a supplier of compact micro drones to certain Army units.
Drone Rules, 2021, was an inflection point for the sector and drone makers have increased localisation of R&D and supply chains, with over 100 start-ups today serving Defence needs, says Smit Shah, President, Drone Federation of India. Drones are preferred in conflicts globally today because of their volume, cost, and the fact that humans need not get closer to targets, he adds.
Published on May 9, 2025
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