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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has set 2030 as the deadline for making India a global hub in drone manufacturing.
In a speech at the National Defence Industries Conclave organised by the Ministry of Defence, Rajnath cited ongoing wars in Ukraine and West Asia and said these conflicts had made it clear that "drones and counter-drone technologies will play a very significant role in future warfare".
Rajnath said, "Today, there is a need to create such a drone manufacturing ecosystem in India in which we are completely self-reliant.
This self-reliance is important not only at the product level but also at the component level.
That means the drone's mould, software, engine and batteries are all made in India." Rajnath flagged the dependence on China and said India's self-reliance must extend beyond assembly and include all drone components from moulds to software and batteries.
Rajnath said, "This task is not easy because in most of the countries where drones are manufactured, many critical components are imported from another country, especially from China.
For India's defence preparedness and strategic autonomy, India must become completely self-reliant in drone manufacturing." In recent years, India's dependence on China for drones has come to light.
Last year, a report said that Indian Army’s drones procured under the ‘Make in India’ initiative were hacked in border areas in 2024.
The investigation....
