As drones emerge as a crucial pillar of military operations, including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations, precision strikes, and logistics and resupply, India is planning a major procurement in the near future.
In what could become the country's largest-ever military drone procurement programme, India is likely to place orders worth more than $2 billion (over ₹17,000 crore) with domestic manufacturers this year, according to a Reuters exclusive.
The plan reflects lessons drawn from recent conflicts, particularly the military stand-off with Pakistan in May, during which both sides deployed drones extensively. The four-day confrontation highlighted the growing offensive and surveillance potential of relatively low-cost unmanned aerial systems on the modern battlefield.
According to Reuters, the procurement plan is in an advanced stage, with deliveries expected over the next 18 to 24 months. If approved, it would dwarf recent government orders worth around Rs 3,000 crore for tactical-class drones.
Smit Shah, president of the Drone Federation India, told the news agency that tactical drone procurements in the next phase could exceed ₹20,000 crore, making it the largest such acquisition undertaken by India.
The planned purchases are expected to benefit a wide range of Indian companies, including major defence players such as Adani Group, Larsen & Toubro and Tata Advanced Systems, as well as drone-focused firms like ideaForge, NewSpace Research and Asteria Aerospace.
According to Shah, the acquisition may be processed through a fast-track procurement route designed to meet urgent operational requirements, with the armed forces seeking rapid induction of drone capabilities.
The shift comes as militaries around the world increasingly embrace unmanned systems. Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have demonstrated how drones can be used not only for surveillance but also for precision strikes, target acquisition and battlefield attrition at a fraction of the cost of conventional platforms.
In March, the defence ministry approved procurement proposals worth about ₹2.38 lakh crore, including transport aircraft, missile systems and remotely piloted strike aircraft, though it did not disclose the exact allocation for drones.
Industry experts say the armed forces now view drones as critical force multipliers capable of altering battlefield dynamics.
"Drones are force multipliers on the modern battlefield," Ramesh Chandra Padhi, an executive at IG Defence and a former senior Army officer, told Reuters. He added that the Indian Army was pursuing emergency and fast-track procurement measures to accelerate the induction of drones on a very large scale.
