Foreign media reports: India to procure domestically produced drones on a large scale

Reference News Network reported on June 7 According to a Reuters report on June 3, an Indian drone industry association working with the government stated to Reuters that, driven by global and regional conflicts, the Indian government may order military drones worth over $2 billion from domestic companies this year. This is the largest procurement of its kind in the country to date.

Smit Shah, head of the Indian Drone Federation, said that the procurement plans have entered the later stages, with delivery expected within 18 to 24 months. Compared to the recent order of tactical drones worth 30 billion rupees (approximately $3.1 million), the new procurement amount will significantly increase.

Shah stated, "The next phase of India's tactical drone procurement could exceed 200 billion rupees." The Indian Drone Federation has over 550 member companies and works closely with the government.

Shah mentioned that the new orders may go through a fast procurement channel, requiring delivery within 24 months, aimed at meeting urgent operational needs.

The conflict between India and Pakistan in May last year is one of the reasons prompting India to aggressively procure drones. Both sides had deployed tactical drones on a large scale at that time.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation in Iran have further accelerated the global application of drones, reducing operational costs and reshaping battlefield tactics.

In March this year, the Indian Ministry of Defense approved a procurement plan worth 2.38 trillion rupees, including the purchase of transport aircraft, missile systems, armed drones, etc., but the government did not disclose the procurement details.

Ramesh Chandra Padi, an executive at IG Defense, a manufacturer of advanced drones and short-range missile systems, said, "Drones are force multipliers on the modern battlefield."

Padi also stated, "The Indian military is accelerating the large-scale introduction of drones through emergency or fast procurement procedures."

India has over 600 companies manufacturing drones and drone components, with more than 100 focusing on defense drone production. These include large enterprises like the Adani Group, Larsen & Toubro Limited, and Tata Advanced Systems, as well as startups like Creative Labs and New Space Research and Technology.

Reports indicate that in recent years, India has reformed its typically inefficient defense procurement procedures to expedite drone procurement, especially after a new round of India-Pakistan conflict exposed its shortcomings in surveillance and strike capabilities.

New Delhi has compressed procurement timelines through emergency procurement rights and fast procurement channels in the Defense Procurement Procedure, no longer requiring years as in the past.

Meanwhile, to promote domestic manufacturing, India prioritizes the purchase of indigenous systems in the procurement process.

The Indian government has also expanded programs like the "Defense Excellence Innovation Project" to fund prototype development and enable small companies to win initial orders, helping businesses scale production more quickly.

At the same time, the Indian Ministry of Defense has opened more procurement areas to startups and private enterprises, relaxed testing standards, and encouraged the military to increase procurement quantities through repeat and temporary orders, allowing companies the opportunity to rapidly improve their products.

Shah stated that these policy changes are reshaping the Indian drone industry, which has long been dominated by small enterprises.

He added that there has been an increase in venture capital and collaboration with large defense companies, and various companies are intensifying manufacturing and R&D efforts to meet the growing military demand. (Translated by Pan Xiaoyan)