'Indian drones battle-tested, among the world's best': Army veteran at Powering Bharat Summit

Indian drones are now “battle-tested” and are among the best in the world, said Lt Gen (Retd) Inderjeet Singh, strategic advisor of Ideaforge Technology, highlighting the increasing credibility and technological edge of domestically developed unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

In an interaction with Moneycontrol's Managing Editor Dr Nalin Mehta at the Powering Bharat Summit, Lt Gen (Retd) Inderjeet Singh highlighted how Indian drones outperformed the Pakistani drones in the recent military conflict.

“As far as drones are concerned as a revolutionary in military warfare, India has been very much alive over the last decade or so. In fact, we have gone in a very concerted way to look at both UCAVs and UAVs… For UCAVs, we have been depending largely on collaboration with Israel. The Ministry of Defence now is upping the ante to get more and more technology… In this particular mini operation, we have done extremely well; we have drones that are battle-tested. We are among the best in the world,” he said.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has also significantly ramped up its focus on indigenous design, development, and manufacturing of drones, aligning with the "Make in India" and "Atmanirbhar Bharat" initiatives. This push aims to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers and enhance the operational readiness of the Indian Armed Forces. DRDO collaborates with private sector players, including start-ups and MSMEs, to foster innovation and production.

In an era where conventional warfare is rapidly giving way to precision-based, technology-led engagements, drones have emerged as the vanguard of military strategy — and the recent India-Pakistan conflict was a testament to that shift. Unlike previous standoffs where artillery shelling, fighter jet dogfights, or ground troop movements defined the tempo, this latest flare-up was marked by the silent but lethal hum of unmanned aerial vehicles.