India Plans Biggest-Ever Military Drone Purchase Worth Over $2 Billion

India is likely to place orders worth more than $2 billion (over ₹17,000 crore) for military drones from domestic manufacturers this year. This is going to be the largest acquisition ever of unmanned aerial systems in the country. This decision to buy UAVs has been taken because armed forces worldwide are becoming increasingly reliant on drones for surveillance, reconnaissance, logistics and precision strikes.

At the moment, the proposals have a timeframe of 18 to 24 months. The value of the proposed purchase is significantly higher than the latest government orders totalling ₹30 billion (roughly ₹3,000 crore or $313 million) for tactical-class drones.

Lessons From Recent Conflicts

India has prioritised its drone program after the recent military operations. The purchase follows the extensive deployment of drones by both India and Pakistan during recent tensions between the two countries, which showed that the role of drones in warfare is increasing day by day. Besides, the war situations in Ukraine and the Middle East have also proved how cheap drones can be a great game-changer on the battlefield.

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A Growing Domestic Industry

According to Smit Shah, President of the Drone Federation of India, tactical drone procurement in the next phase could exceed ₹200 billion, or more than $2 billion. The federation represents more than 550 companies and works closely with the government on industry development.

The sector includes large companies such as Adani Defence & Aerospace (a fully owned subsidiary of (Adani Enterprises Limited) and Tata Advanced Systems (a fully owned subsidiary of the Tata Group). The list also includes specialised players and startups, including ideaForge, DroneAcharya, and Paras Defence and Space Technologies.

These companies develop a wide range of systems, including reconnaissance drones, logistics drones, loitering munitions, precision-strike platforms and critical drone components.

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