In a major signal of India’s accelerating push toward military self-reliance, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi has revealed that the Indian Army is transforming itself from a consumer of unmanned aerial systems into a large-scale producer of combat drones.
Speaking ahead of Army Day 2026, General Dwivedi said the Army has adopted a decentralised manufacturing and induction model under which every operational command is now actively producing or procuring thousands of military-grade unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The initiative marks a decisive departure from the traditional, centralised procurement process that has often taken years to deliver new capabilities.
“We have taken a clear decision to manufacture as many drones as possible in-house,” the Army Chief said. “Each command is either already building or is in the process of fielding around 5,000 drones. These are not standard, off-the-shelf solutions but bespoke systems designed for our unique operational environments.”
Under this model, the Army’s commands are collectively creating a vast, distributed drone arsenal tailored to local threat perceptions, terrain, and climate conditions. The shift is intended to compress innovation cycles, allowing units to move from concept to deployment in months rather than years.
General Dwivedi was careful to clarify that the effort goes far beyond small quadcopters or hobbyist-style reconnaissance platforms. The focus, he said, is firmly on combat-capable military systems.
The expanding drone inventory includes long-range tactical strike platforms, loitering munitions, electronic warfare drones, and communications relay systems designed to operate deep inside contested airspace. According to recent reports, the Army has already test-fired indigenous strike drones with ranges exceeding 100 kilometres, capable of delivering precision attacks on high-value targets while keeping manned aircraft and special forces out of harm’s way.
These platforms are expected to play a critical role in degrading enemy air defences, conducting persistent surveillance, and enabling rapid, data-driven battlefield decision-making.
To integrate this influx of unmanned technology, the Army is also restructuring its force design. Open-source intelligence points to the formation of specialised units such as “Bhairav Battalions,” “ASHNI Drone Platoons,” and “Shaktibaan Regiments,” dedicated exclusively to drone operations.
Rather than being held as isolated support assets, drone warfare capabilities are being embedded directly into infantry and mechanised formations. This integration is intended to ensure that commanders at the tactical level have immediate access to surveillance and strike options.
A central advantage of the command-led production model is its ability to customise systems for India’s diverse operational theatres.
High-altitude formations along the northern borders are prioritising endurance-focused drones capable of functioning in thin air and sub-zero Himalayan conditions. Desert-based units are developing long-range platforms with enhanced optical stability to monitor vast, open terrain. Meanwhile, eastern commands are focusing on stealthy drones with low acoustic signatures, optimised for jungle warfare and limited visibility environments.
This decentralised ecosystem has fostered a culture of rapid prototyping and iterative design, allowing commanders and engineers to adapt platforms in response to evolving threats and battlefield feedback.
Strategically, the initiative reflects the Army’s growing emphasis on a “mass-drone doctrine” aimed at saturating and overwhelming adversary defences. By fielding tens of thousands of systems — including decoys, armed drones, and electronic warfare platforms — the Army seeks to maintain persistent situational awareness and continuous strike capability across the entire depth of the battlefield.
General Dwivedi’s announcement underscores a broader evolution in Indian military thinking. By internalising production and empowering frontline commands, the Army aims to rapidly replace battlefield losses, adapt to enemy countermeasures in real time, and retain the element of technological surprise — a capability increasingly seen as decisive in future conflicts.
