Explore Business Standard
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Drone manufacturing and training firm AVPL International on Friday announced an investment of USD 1 million (about Rs 8.5 crore) towards research and development of defence drones. in April 2025, the company committed USD 12 million to drone training and manufacturing. The new investment aims to accelerate the indigenous development of advanced unmanned aerial systems (UAS) tailored for India's defence, homeland security, and dual-purpose applications, according to a company statement. "The investment focuses on addressing critical gaps in India's drone ecosystem, such as reducing dependence on imported components, developing intelligent drones with advanced swarm autonomy, and creating indigenous counter-UAS capabilities to protect critical assets. "AVPL's efforts also include high-altitude platforms capable of sustained flight in extreme terrains, with specific attention to the Himalayan region," it said. The investment will also contribute towards enhancing AVPL's manufacturing
Underscoring how drones are reshaping warfare economics, CDS Gen Anil Chauhan on Monday stressed the importance of establishing a "common vocabulary and grammar" on Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and drones by the Indian armed forces. Think-tank Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS) hosted a high-level seminar on "UAS Warfare with Special Focus on Counter-UAS" in New Delhi. Gen Chauhan delivered the keynote address, emphasising the transformative impact of UAS in modern warfare. He also highlighted the need for developing a holistic counter-UAS system for the armed forces, the defence ministry said in a statement. Referencing present-day conflicts, he underscored how drones are reshaping warfare economics with low-cost, high-impact solutions. Gen Chauhan postulated the imperative to "establish a common vocabulary and grammar on UAS, drones, uncrewed systems by the Indian armed forces," it said. He highlighted the key trends -- celerity, robotics advancements, and AI-driven ...
JSW Defence has signed an agreement with the Telangana government to set up a facility in the state for manufacturing Unmanned Aerial Systems. JSW UAV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, would invest Rs 800 crore to set up the unit in Telangana through a technology arrangement with a leading US-based defence technology company, JSW Defence said in a statement. The MoU was signed in the presence of Telegana Chief Minister Revant Reddy and Parth Jindal of JSW Group on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) here. "The MoU underscores our unwavering commitment to playing a key role in indigenizing defence technology in India," Jindal said. Reddy said Hyderabad, and Telangana have been long positioned in the global market as software and pharma leader. "With clear vision and diligent efforts, we are now establishing Telangana as a clear leader for investments in manufacturing across sectors, ranging from semiconductor, defence, private space to FMCG," he said. JSW Defe
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said India will soon create a comprehensive anti-drone unit to secure its borders as the "menace" of unmanned aerial vehicles is going to get serious in the coming days. Addressing BSF troops during the 60th Raising Day event of the force here at its training camp, about 300 km from the India-Pakistan border, Shah said the initial results of a "laser equipped anti-drone gun-mounted" mechanism have been encouraging. This has led to an increase in drone neutralisation and detection cases, up from 3 per cent to 55 per cent, along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab, he said. "The drone menace is going to get more serious in the coming days... We are tackling this issue with a 'whole of government' approach with the defence and research organisations and the DRDO joining hands. "We are going to create a comprehensive anti-drone unit for the country in the coming time," Shah said. According to official data, more than 260 drones have been downed
Bengaluru-headquartered Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace (FWDA) on Tuesday announced the successful maiden flight of indigenous unmanned bomber aircraft, the FWD 200B. Classified as a Medium Altitude (15,000 feet) Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), the FWD 200B is equipped with optical payloads for surveillance and missile-like weapons for air strikes and bombing, the FWDA Founder and CEO Suhas Tejaskanda told reporters here. "The aircraft's aerodynamics design, airframe, propulsion systems, controls systems, electronics are all made in India at FWDA's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility of 12,000 sq.ft built on 1.5 acre land, located at Electronic City, Bengaluru," he said. FWD 200B features a wingspan of five metres and a length of 3.5 metres. It has a maximum take-off weight of 102 kg and a payload capacity of 30 kg, the company said. It can fly at a cruise speed of 152 kms per hour, with a maximum speed of 250 km per hour. Its runway requirement is just
The government on Friday eased norms for the export of certain categories of drones, meant for civilian-end uses, with a view to facilitating the outbound shipments of high-tech items. The commerce ministry's arm DGFT said the export of drones/Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) of certain specifications would be allowed under the General Authorization for Export of Drones (GAED), a one-time general licence valid for three years. "The export of Drones/UAVs not covered under the specified categories in SCOMET list and capable of range equal to or less than 25 km and delivering a payload of not more than 25 kg (excluding the software and technology of these items) and meant for only civilian end-use, will now be subject to GAED," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said. Exports of items under the Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies (SCOMET) list are permitted only against an export authorisation issued on this behalf. "In line with the emphasi
The Drone Policy 2022 launched by the Goa government has suggested that its departments consider the use of the unmanned aerial vehicles for efficient and effective governance. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday launched the Drone Policy 2022, as per which the government will engage with technical institutes and academia to design drone-related courses for use in sectors like agriculture, horticulture, forestry, healthcare, mining and others. The government will help in establishing drone schools that offer various courses in drone operations and pilot certification, the policy said, adding the government will encourage the setting up of centres of excellence within higher academic institutions to promote research and development. The policy mentions that "drones offer tremendous benefits to almost every sector of the economy, including but not limited to agriculture, infrastructure, emergency response, transportation, geospatial mapping, media, entertainment, law enforcement an