India is set to order military drones worth more than $2 billion, or over ₹17,000 crore, from local manufacturers this year. The move would mark the country’s largest procurement of unmanned systems to date.
The plans have reached advanced stages. Deliveries are expected within 18 to 24 months. Officials are likely to use fast-track routes to meet urgent operational requirements.
This purchase represents a sharp rise from recent government orders worth around ₹3,000 crore for tactical-class drones.
Smit Shah, president of Drone Federation India, confirmed the scale of the upcoming buys. The body represents more than 550 companies and works closely with the government.
“In the next phase, tactical drone procurements in India may exceed 200 billion rupees, or more than $2 billion,” Shah said.
The development follows the first large-scale use of drones during clashes with Pakistan last year. Conflicts in Ukraine and other regions have also shown how low-cost unmanned systems can change battlefield tactics and lower costs.
India now has more than 600 firms that make drones and components. Over 100 of these companies focus on defence applications. They range from large groups such as Adani, Larsen & Toubro and Tata Advanced Systems to startups including ideaForge. These firms produce reconnaissance, logistics, loitering munitions and precision-strike systems.
The government has sped up defence purchases through emergency powers and the Defence Acquisition Procedure. It gives priority to equipment made in India. Schemes such as Innovations for Defence Excellence help smaller companies develop and scale prototypes quickly.
This procurement forms part of India’s wider defence modernisation drive. The goal is to strengthen self-reliance in military equipment and close gaps in surveillance and strike capabilities.
