Defence Technology

India's indigenous Netra AEW&C system receives final operational clearance

India's Indigenous Netra Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) System was on Thursday accorded Final Operational Clearance, marking a major milestone by paving the way for operational exploitation by the Indian Air Force. Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, SYSM AVSM VM Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, formally declared the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) of the Netra AEW&C system in a ceremony held at the Centre for Airborne Systems here. At the event here, the indigenous Netra (AEW&C) System and the FOC certificate were also unveiled. Speaking on the occasion, Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti said, "It is indeed a proud moment to declare the AEW&C's Final Operational Clearance. This is not merely the culmination of an indigenous technology programme, but a celebration of the unique partnership between the Indian Air Force and the scientific community in fulfilling India's quest for Atmanirbharta." Noting that the journey of the AEW&C has been extraordinary, .

India tests edge-native drone swarms that adapt, decide and act

Tashi Network and DroneVerse demonstrate drone swarms that can self-coordinate, redistribute tasks and continue missions despite connectivity loss or battery constraints

Trump signs orders to speed up US quantum adoption, boost cyber defences

The orders would boost the US 'as the world leader in this very important emerging field,' Trump said at the White House

Statsguru: Defence tech firms spread wings as funding surges and R&D rises

India's defence technology sector has seen a sharp rise in startups and funding, supported by growing investments in indigenous manufacturing and innovation

Rekise Marine raises $9.7 mn, led by Nikhil Kamath's firm and Accel

Rekise Marine, the Indian marine robotics company engaged in building autonomous ships and submarines, has raised USD 9.7 million (about Rs 92 crore) in seed funding led by Accel and NKSquared, entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath's investment firm. The round also saw participation from Sameer Brij Verma and Sandeep Singhal, Industrial47 and Singularity AMC, a slew of prominent corporate leaders, alongside the company's founders and several family offices, according to a release. "Rekise Marine raises USD 9.7 million led by Accel and Nikhil Kamath to help build India's autonomous naval fleet," it added. Founded by naval architect Maitrai Maka and created around the belief that autonomy would fundamentally reshape the maritime domain, Rekise develops autonomous surface and underwater vessels through a full-stack strategy that combines vessel design, systems integration and autonomy software developed in-house. Its software platform powers vessels of every class, from small man-portable vessel

Nibe's Vayu Astra-1 completes successful maiden trials for Indian Army

Nibe Limited successfully tested its Vayu Astra-1 loitering munition across varied terrains, showcasing long-range precision strike and high-altitude capabilities

Pascale Sourisse on why strategic autonomy is more critical now than ever

In a world where peace can no longer be taken for granted, Sourisse, who heads a global defence major, tells Veenu Sandhu why strategic autonomy is more critical now than ever

Hard power, self-reliance underpin strategic autonomy, say experts

India's strategic autonomy hinges on stronger hard power, a scaled-up military-industrial base, and technological self-reliance, panellists said at Business Standard Manthan

India, US discuss ways to boost ties in critical, emerging defence tech

India and the US have discussed ways to strengthen collaboration in "critical and emerging defence technologies" to meet the evolving requirements at a key meeting hosted here, officials said on Thursday. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) hosted the 24th Indo-US Joint Technical Group Plenary Meeting in New Delhi on February 3 and 4, they said. The meeting was co-chaired by Director General (Production Coordination and Services Interaction), DRDO, Chandrika Kaushik, and Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies, Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, Michael Francis Dodd, the defence ministry here said. The plenary was conducted in line with the vision and policy guidance of the framework for India-US Major Defence Partnership signed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in October 2025, officials said. "The delegations reviewed the ongoing cooperation in defence science and technology

From sonar to AI, acoustics is emerging as a decisive weapon of war

If US action in Venezuela and the Ukraine war are anything to go by, acoustics will not merely support military power in future wars - it will shape it

Co-production over localisation: Industry on India-EU defence pact

India's defence industry sees the EU security pact as a turning point that could shift the country from buyer to industrial partner, unlocking co-development and supply chain opportunities

Defence startup funding doubles to record $247 million in 2025: Tracxn

Report says investors favour tech used in both civilian and military sectors over slower combat projects

Defence tech hiring in India doubles to 7K in past 3 years: CIEL HR study

The study showed that growth has been consistent year-on-year rather than driven by short-term spikes, reflecting long-cycle modernisation and indigenisation programmes

Republic Day 2026: Bhairav commandos, indigenous weapons to headline parade

For the first time, select armed forces contingents will appear in 'battle array' formations, showcasing how equipment and manpower are integrated in combat

CoreEL gets $30 million Series B to support aerospace defence projects

Bengaluru-based aerospace and defence technology firm CoreEL Technologies has raised $30 million in Series B funding to scale manufacturing in large defence programmes in India and overseas

DRDO hands over seven indigenous defence technologies to armed forces

From a long-life seawater battery system for sustained underwater sensing and surveillance applications to a waterjet propulsion system for fast interceptor craft, the DRDO has handed over seven technologies to the armed forces, the government said on Friday. These technologies have been developed under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme, the defence ministry said. "Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has handed over seven technologies developed under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme to the three Services," it said in a statement. "The technologies are -- an indigenous high-voltage power supply for airborne self-protection jammers, a tide-efficient gangway for naval jetties, advanced very low frequency-high frequency switching matrix systems, VLF loop aerials for underwater platforms, indigenous waterjet propulsion system for fast interceptor craft, a novel process for recovery of lithium precursors from used lithium-ion batteries and a long-li

Putin visit: India, Russia to discuss Su-57 stealth jets, more S-400 units

Russia's share in India's arms imports has halved over 15 years, though it remains the country's largest supplier

Indian Army to deploy first Bhairav battalion on Nov 1: DG Infantry

While highlighting the role of the Bhairav Battalion, the DG mentioned that the Indian Army is also raising Ashni (fire) platoons in its infantry battalions, responsible for drone operations

Militaries seek cheaper defences as drones reshape modern battlefields

Drone costs can range from just a few hundred to several thousand dollars, and their price tag is rapidly depreciating as innovation and mass production pick up