OPINION | Why self-reliance in UAVs is a strategic imperative for India

While India has made impressive strides in drone manufacturing, achieving full indigenization remains a complex challenge. (Representative image)

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) - commonly known as drones - stand as one of the defining technologies of our era. They symbolize not only innovation but also sovereignty, competitiveness and national power. UAVs are gradually moving into every aspect of human life and will soon be leading the tech revolution. It is imperative for a nation to be there in this evolving area if we want to remain ahead of the curve.

A new horizon of national power

UAVs represent one of the most transformative technologies of the 21st century. What began as a defence enabler has rapidly evolved into a multi-sectoral asset—powering agriculture, logistics, infrastructure monitoring, mining, healthcare delivery and disaster management.

For India, self-reliance in UAV technology is not merely a matter of industrial growth; it is a strategic necessity that underpins national security, economic resilience and technological sovereignty.

The strategic imperative of self-reliance

At a time when global supply chains are fragile and geopolitics defines technology access, dependence on foreign UAV platforms, chips and embedded systems poses a national vulnerability. Imported systems often come with opaque architectures, hidden dependencies and restricted access to core technologies - limiting India’s ability to innovate, secure and scale.

True self-reliance in UAVs must therefore encompass not just assembly or integration, but mastery across the full technology stack—from microchips and embedded systems to propulsion, communication, navigation and AI-based decision-making.

Building the complete UAV ecosystem in India

India today stands at the threshold of developing a comprehensive UAV ecosystem driven by both public and private innovation. The key components of this ecosystem include:

* Chip and Embedded Systems Manufacturing: The Government’s Semicon India Programmeand Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes are catalysing domestic manufacturing of microchips and processors. Indigenous embedded systems, designed to power drones with minimal latency and maximum autonomy, are being developed through collaborations between premier institutions like IITs, IISc, DRDO and private tech startups.

* R&D Infrastructure and Investments: India’s R&D expenditure, which currently stands around 7% of GDP, is set to rise under the National Research Foundation (NRF)framework. The focus is shifting toward defence, aerospace and AI-linked technologies.

* Dedicated drone testing corridors, defence innovation labs (iDEX) and industrial clusters in Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi, Aligarh, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Pune are nurturing a new generation of UAV innovation hubs.

* Funding by the financial institutions in R&D and start-ups is paving the way for innovation in technology domain.

* Innovation Ecosystem and Start-up Support: India’s start-up ecosystem—now the world’s third largest—is increasingly diversifying into defence and aerospace. The Drone Shaktiand Make in India missions are enabling young innovators and MSMEs to design, prototype and commercialize UAV solutions tailored for both civil and strategic use.

* Skilling and Talent Creation: Universities, skilling agencies and centres are introducing specialized programs in UAV design, data analytics and AI applications. Such initiatives are producing the next generation of young scientists, drone engineers and UAV technologistswho can sustain India’s long-term technological independence.

The Talent Paradox: Brain Drain vs. Brain Gain

Despite these advances, India continues to face the challenge of talent migration. Many of the brightest Indian engineers and scientists contribute to drone and aerospace industries abroad, attracted by better facilities, salaries and research environments.
Reversing this trend demands a national innovation mission that combines funding, mentorship and infrastructure—creating conditions where our brightest minds choose to build in India rather than migrate.

The good news is that this reversal has already begun. Several Indian-origin experts are now returning to lead domestic drone startups or collaborate with Indian institutions. This brain gain can become the foundation for India’s next technological leap.

National security and strategic sovereignty

From border surveillance and counterinsurgency to maritime reconnaissance and disaster response, UAVs are the new eyes and ears of modern defence.
Relying on imported systems risks data leakage, remote disablement, or embedded vulnerabilities. Indigenization ensures that data, design and control remain within national command, strengthening India’s defence autonomy.

A robust indigenous UAV industry allows India to export security rather than import it—creating strategic depth, economic advantage and diplomatic leverage.

Economic and industrial growth through UAVs

The UAV industry has the potential to add $50 billion to India’s economy by 2030. Each indigenous drone manufactured creates a chain reaction of opportunities—in electronics, batteries, sensors, materials and AI software.
This ripple effect stimulates MSME participation, start-up incubation and job creation across engineering, data science, design and maintenance domains.

By localizing production and innovation, India can convert its youth bulge into a technology dividend, transforming drones from luxury gadgets into tools of national development.

The challenges of achieving 100% indigenous drones

While India has made impressive strides in drone manufacturing, achieving full indigenization remains a complex challenge. Currently, many UAVs built in India still rely on imported sub-systems such as flight controllers, telemetry modules, chips, GPS receivers and advanced communication systems.

Building a 100% indigenous drone means controlling every element of the value chain—from core electronics to encryption algorithms, precision sensors and aerodynamic components—each of which demands deep R&D, specialized manufacturing and secure supply chains.

Understanding the technological gaps

# Drone Controllers and Telemetry Circuits: These are the “brains and nerves” of a UAV, enabling real-time flight control, communication and stability. Developing reliable, miniaturized, low-latency controllers with indigenous chips and embedded systems remains a hurdle due to limited semiconductor fabrication capacity.

# ECCM (Electronic Counter-Countermeasures) Techniques: For defence drones, it is essential to withstand electronic warfare and jamming. India still depends on imported ECCM solutions, as these require advanced RF (radio frequency) engineering, adaptive modulation techniques and extensive testing facilities.

# Anti-Drone and Drone Monitoring Technologies: As drone usage proliferates, the need for robust anti-drone systems grows. Radar-based detection, RF pattern recognition and directed-energy neutralization technologies are still in early developmental stages domestically. The absence of a unified national testing framework slows deployment.

# There are many more minor gaps in our manufacturing ecosystems which need to be plugged to achieve desired results.

Policy and ecosystem challenges

India’s UAV policies have evolved rapidly, but further clarity and support are essential. Some key areas needing attention include:

- Long-term R&D funding mechanisms dedicated to UAV electronics, AI and materials.

- Public-private partnerships to enable transfer of technology from defence labs to industry.

- Standardization and certification frameworks that ensure quality, safety and interoperability.

- Cross-sector industrial collaboration, where ancillary industries in electronics, metallurgy, optics and software development align with UAV manufacturers to co-develop systems.

Building drones is not a standalone effort; it is a national industrial collaboration between academia, defence, startups and traditional manufacturing sectors.

Out-of-the-Box Thinking: The way forward

To propel India into the league of true UAV superpowers, conventional approaches must be supplemented by bold, out-of-the-box ideas. Some possible pathways include:

* National UAV Innovation Challenge: Annual competitions at district and university levels, where youth teams design indigenous drone systems, supported by government grants and incubation funding.

* Defence-Civil Fusion Labs: Shared R&D centres where defence researchers, private innovators and academia co-develop technologies with dual-use potential.

* “Drone as a Service” (DaaS) Ecosystem: Incentivizing startups to provide UAV services across agriculture, logistics and infrastructure sectors, making drones an integral part of India’s industrial ecosystem.

* Reverse Mentorship Networks: Connecting senior scientists with young innovators to cross-pollinate creativity with experience.

* Dedicated UAV Economic Zones: Establishing special drone technology parks offering tax reliefs, common testing infrastructure and fast-track export permissions.

These ideas, if executed with vision and speed, could unlock unprecedented innovation and employment, positioning India as a global hub for UAV design, production and services.

(Lt. General Rakesh Kumar Anand (Retd) is CEO at SPH Aviation and Executive Director, AVPL International.)

Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.