Govt to Unveil Drone Framework by Oct to Boost Domestic Production: Dy Chief of Army Staff

Following extensive drone deployment during Operation Sindoor, the Ministry of Defence is expected to roll out a comprehensive drone framework by September to boost domestic production, address operational challenges, and streamline testing processes, Lt Gen Rahul R Singh, AVSM, VSM, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (CD & S), Indian Army, said at a FICCI event on Friday.

“We are in active consultation with the Ministry of Defence and other stakeholders to establish a comprehensive drone framework. By September or October, we hope to release it. This framework will focus on incentivising domestic production, identifying and addressing vulnerabilities, and facilitating testing which will be a central theme,” he said 

Lt Gen Singh emphasised that boosting domestic drone production must go beyond final assembly; every component used in a drone should be manufactured in India. He noted that many drone manufacturers continue to rely on imported parts, often because they are readily available and cost-effective.

“One issue I have observed when we talk about countering the Chinese supply chain is that many components are still being sourced from abroad because they are available cheaply. This shortcut undermines our long-term goals,” he said.

Still, India relies heavily on imports from China for crucial industrial inputs, many of which are essential for drone manufacturing. Data from the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) shows that India’s imports from China increased from $76.4 billion in 2018 to $101.8 billion in FY2024, with 98.5% of these comprising industrial products, which contribute key components to the drone supply chain

Lt Singh also raised the issue related to the testing of the product that consumes hefty time and resources. 

According to him our system needs to establish clear standards that will help streamline procurement cycles. 

“Currently, a lot of time is consumed in testing and validation. So if a vendor provides a system that is already thoroughly tested and ready for induction, why should we spend more time re-testing it?,” he added. 

Lt Gen Singh also expressed concern over the growing importance of Electronic Warfare (EW), urging industry stakeholders to proactively engage with this emerging domain. 

He was speaking at FICCI’s event, ‘New Age Military Technologies: Industry Capabilities & Way Forward’, where representatives from the armed forces shared their expectations to encourage industry players to introspect and bring in forward-looking solutions.