For decades, India’s military relied primarily on troops, fighter aircraft, satellites and conventional surveillance systems to monitor its borders.
The 2020 military standoff with China in eastern Ladakh highlighted the challenge of maintaining continuous surveillance across vast stretches of difficult high-altitude terrain.
Now India is preparing to place a record military drone order worth more than $2 billion (€1.7 billion) with domestic manufacturers, including major companies like Adani Group, Tata Advanced Systems and Larsen & Toubro as well as startups like IdeaForge and Asteria Aerospace, in the largest unmanned system purchase ever.
Drones are increasingly being seen as the eyes and ears of the battlefield, capable of gathering intelligence, tracking troop movements, delivering supplies and delivering precision strikes.
The drones are expected to be deployed along some of India’s most sensitive borders, including the Line of Actual Control with China, the border with Pakistan and Bangladesh and the Indian Ocean.
On the surface this is a big defense purchase. In fact, it reflects a profound change in how India views future warfare and how rapidly drones have moved from the margins of military planning to its center stage. This change has been shaped by a series of developments.
A warning from the battlefield
In May 2025, India and Pakistan came to the brink of widespread conflict following the Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, with both sides deploying drones and advanced air power before a US-backed ceasefire restored the fragile peace.
Subsequently, India launched Cold Start, the largest drone warfare exercise in its history, involving the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Tara Kartha, a former member of the National Security Council Secretariat, told DW that India’s first real warning came with the drone attack on the Jammu Air Force base in 2021.
“It highlights the vulnerabilities that have increased with the increased use of drones for surveillance, smuggling and attacks,” Cartha said.
He said, “What matters now is not just technology, but how fast armies can innovate, adapt payloads and develop new tactics. The side that dominates in low-altitude drone warfare is likely to gain an edge in a broader conflict.”
India is hardly alone in drawing lessons from recent conflicts.
The war in Ukraine has changed military thinking around the world. Inexpensive drones have destroyed millions of dollars worth of tanks, guided artillery fire and attacked targets far behind enemy lines. What was once considered an auxiliary technology is now a central feature of modern warfare.
Military planners in New Delhi are studying these developments closely.
The proposed procurement reportedly includes reconnaissance platforms, logistics drones, loitering munitions and strike systems. Together, they will provide the Army with persistent surveillance and quick-response capabilities across multiple theaters.
“The war in Ukraine reinforced the lesson that drones are no longer accessories but the center of modern warfare,” Cartha said.
Why does India need domestic drones?
But the story is not just about security. It is also about industrial policy.
Unlike many of India’s major defense acquisitions, this order is expected to be largely from domestic manufacturers.
The purchase closely aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push for self-reliance in defense production and comes as India looks to build a domestic drone industry capable of competing internationally.
The government has repeatedly argued that reducing dependence on foreign suppliers is essential for long-term strategic autonomy. Drones have emerged as one of the areas where India believes it can build indigenous capabilities relatively quickly.
Wing Commander Rajiv Kumar Narang said recent conflicts in Ukraine, Iran as well as Operation Sindoor – which was triggered by the Pahalgam attack – have reinforced the importance of self-reliance in drone technology.
Narang, who is the author of “India’s Quest for UAVs and Challenges”, said Iran has demonstrated that indigenous systems, technology ownership and smart tactics can help offset an opponent’s technological advantages.
“Countries that have their own drone technology and can innovate quickly will have an edge in future conflicts,” Narang told DW.
“The challenge for India is now not just to make drones, but to master the technologies behind them and put them into service rapidly,” he said.
The domestic purchase will complement India’s separate acquisition of 31 MQ-9B Predator drones from the United States.
While US platforms provide long-range surveillance and strike capabilities, Indian-made systems are expected to operate in large numbers closer to the strategic battlefield.
Together, they point to the creation of a layered surveillance and warfare network stretching from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean.
Can the strategy keep pace with procurement?
Konark Rai, managing director of Rudram Dynamics, a defense startup, said the success of India’s drone campaign will depend less on headline procurement numbers and more on how effectively those systems are integrated into military operations.
“Although India already has policies to support drone manufacturing and innovation, rapid procurement, testing, certification and induction are now critical,” Rai told DW.
Purchasing drones is one thing, Rai said, integrating thousands of unmanned systems into military operations is another. This includes training, doctrine, electronic warfare protection, cyber security and the ability to process massive amounts of battlefield data in real time.
“The bigger challenge is to ensure that drone acquisitions are matched with doctrine, training and operational concepts that can translate technical capability into battlefield advantage,” he said.
Edited by: Ole Tangen Jr.