Overview

• Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan said recent conflicts have shown how drones can shift tactical balance disproportionately, making self-reliance in UAV and C-UAS systems a strategic necessity
• The workshop hosted by Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff in collaboration with the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies produced a forward-looking roadmap for fully indigenous drone and counter-drone capabilities
• Lessons from Operation Sindoor’s May 10 drone and loitering-munition attacks—neutralised without inflicting any damage—underscored the need for robust domestic technologies
• Officials cautioned that dependence on foreign niche components weakens preparedness, limits production scalability and creates shortages of critical spares
• The indigenisation drive aligns with the Atmanirbhar Bharat policy and calls on private industry to accelerate homegrown innovation in UAV and C-UAS systems