India must become drone hub by 2030 to meet defence needs: Rajnath Singh

ONgoing conflicts, including the state of war in due west Asia, feature shown that drones and counter-drone technologies testament be telephone exchange to future warfare and India must take steps to position itself as a global hub for drone manufacturing by 2030 to meet the country’s defence requirements and preserve its strategic autonomy, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday.Self-reliance in the drone sector, he said, was critical given the current geopolitical uncertainties.“Self-reliance in drone manufacturing is essential not merely at the product level, but also at the component level,” Singh said at a conclave on Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, adding that the Russia-Ukraine war and the tensions in West Asia were proof that drones and counter-drone technologies will play a pivotal role in future warfare.Also Read:Not just a skilled politician but also able economist, Rajnath lauds Yogi“From the drone’s moulds to its software, engines, and batteries, everything must be manufactured in India. This is no easy task. In most countries where drones are manufactured, a significant number of critical components are currently imported from China. India must work in a mission mode to emerge as a global hub of indigenous drone manufacturing,” Singh said, highlighting the urgency to create a local drone production ecosystem.This comes at a time when India is working to raise a drone force.The country is preparing to initiate far-reaching military reforms to ensure its armed forces are ready for future battlefield challenges, with the proposed creation of a drone force, a data force and a defence geospatial agency standing out among the raft of goals it seeks to pursue and accomplish by 2047 when the country marks its Independence centenary.The roadmap, Defence Forces Vision 2047, to transform the military into a world-class force also seeks to establish a space command, a cyber-command, a cognitive warfare action force and a national air defence shield under Mission Sudarshan Chakra as the character of war evolves rapidly due to technological advancements. The vision document stipulates that the revamp will be carried out in three phases: up to 2030 (era of transition), 2030-40 (era of consolidation) and 2040-47 (era of excellence).Drones and their growing impact on military operations took centre stage at this year’s Republic Day parade as a raft of unmanned systems capable of missions ranging from surveillance and reconnaissance to precision strikes rolled down Kartavya Path for the first time, underling their emergence as formidable battlefield assets in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor.