Akash System, AI Drones, And Why India Can't 'Outsource' Security
Strategic autonomy remains an illusion in the absence of technological sovereignty. A nation that lacks the capacity to manufacture its own armaments finds itself vulnerable to the whims of key defence exporting countries. Its military strategies are contingent upon supply chains beyond its influence, and its ability to deter adversaries is compromised by reliance on others. Theoretical frameworks derived from realist international relations, especially structural realism, indicate that in an anarchic world system, the primary imperative for the state is survival. Survival is an endeavour that cannot be delegated to others. When the integrity of national security relies on external validation, even the most formidable diplomatic efforts become ineffective against embargoes, export restrictions, or the unpredictable nature of geopolitical dynamics.
Learning From The Past
History presents stark reminders. In 1965, India's military endeavours were significantly hindered by a US arms embargo. In 1991, amidst the Gulf War, Saudi Arabia, despite possessing an abundance of Western armaments, depended wholly on the United States for the protection of its oil fields. In stark contrast, Israel has not only endured but flourished, and through strategic alliances and a steadfast commitment has developed its own capabilities. Therefore, countries that delegate their defence industrial capabilities relinquish control over their strategic destiny. Atmanirbharta, or self-reliance, in defence transcends mere rhetoric.
This strategic realisation is beginning to pay dividends for India. Despite still being the world's second-largest arms importer, accounting for 8.3% of global imports, just behind Ukraine's 8.4% according to SIPRI, India has shifted course since 2014. The focus has moved beyond mere procurement towards co-development, co-production, and indigenous innovation. The aim is no longer just to acquire weapons but to build the capacity to design and produce them domestically. Initiatives such as the Defence Industrial Corridors in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, the corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Board, and the launch of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) signal a structural push towards developing in-house defence R&D. Successes like the Tejas fighter jet, the DRDO-developed anti-satellite missile (ASAT), and the Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile are no longer isolated achievements, they reflect the emergence of a broader, self-sustaining military-industrial ecosystem. Simultaneously, technology transfer agreements and licensed production under the Strategic Partnership Model are enabling Indian firms to move up the value chain. India is no longer content being a passive buyer, it is steadily becoming a sovereign producer. Atmanirbharta in defence is not a distant goal. It is fast becoming the country's strategic posture.
All That Was Used In Op Sindoor
Operation Sindoor has given us the clearest evidence of how far India has come as far as innovation in defence tech is concerned. The mission, launched in retaliation to the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, was conducted entirely without crossing the Line of Control, relying on high-precision, domestically engineered strike and surveillance systems. Among the most crucial was the Akash Surface-to-Air Missile System, which provided short-range protection against incoming aerial threats. Backed by the Akashteer Air Defence Control and Reporting System, Indian forces intercepted all hostile drones and missiles with 100% success, demonstrating real-time net-centric warfare capabilities powered by domestic radar, telemetry, and sensor integration. The Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) served as the backbone of coordination, linking airbases, radar units, and weapon platforms across the services under a single digital command structure.
For offensive capabilities, SkyStriker loitering munitions, manufactured domestically under technology transfer from Israel's Elbit Systems, enabled deep penetration and destruction of enemy radar and missile installations. These AI-enabled kamikaze drones hovered over target zones, identified high-value assets, and struck with zero collateral damage. The Indian Air Force also deployed long-range drones for real-time ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), while DRDO-developed electronic warfare systems successfully jammed Pakistan's Chinese-supplied radar and missile infrastructure, completing the mission in under 23 minutes, without any loss of Indian assets. Ground forces remained on high alert using a layered defensive posture comprising legacy systems like Pechora and OSA-AK, and new-generation assets like Akash-NG and LLQRM (Low-Level Quick Reaction Missiles). The Indian Army's Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) grid and shoulder-fired missiles formed the first layer of protection, reinforced by low-level air defence (LLAD) guns and electro-optical tracking systems.
Notably, India's indigenous satellite assets, including those from ISRO, provided 24x7 strategic situational awareness. More than 10 satellites were operational in monitoring India's 7,000-km coastline and the northern theatre during the mission, highlighting the seamless integration of space-based sensors into real-time tactical decision-making. The operation also exposed and neutralised advanced foreign-origin platforms deployed by Pakistan, including PL-15 air-to-air missiles, Turkish-origin UAVs, and Chinese-made quadcopters, all of which were rendered ineffective by India's domestic air defence ecosystem.
A Decade Of Work
Behind the success of Operation Sindoor lies a decade of focused investment in building indigenous capacity. The iDEX platform, Strategic Partnership Model, Defence Industrial Corridors in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, and the ban on imported drones in 2021 catalysed the rise of Indian firms in the UAV and defence electronics space. Firms like Alpha Design Technologies, Paras Defence, and Tata Advanced Systems are now core contributors to India's tactical autonomy. India's drone market, projected to reach $11 billion by 2030, is rapidly emerging as a key pillar of national security.
Let The Momentum Remain
To consolidate Operation Sindoor's gains and realise full-spectrum strategic autonomy, India must urgently address key gaps across its defence ecosystem. The most pressing is the development of indigenous jet engines. Despite progress in airframe design, India remains reliant on foreign propulsion systems, which is a critical vulnerability. We still rely on GE engines for Tejas, and deliveries are behind schedule. Reviving the Kaveri engine programme, backed by a National Aero-Engine Mission with global partnerships and IP retention, is imperative.
Equally important is scaling the indigenous drone ecosystem. India must accelerate the development of HALE/MALE drones, autonomous loitering munitions, and AI-powered drone swarms. The CATS Warrior and TAPAS-BH platforms must be supported with robust R&D funding, domestic payload production, and regulatory clarity.
In parallel, India must localise avionics, AESA radars, mission computers, and electronic warfare (EW) suites. Modern warfare is increasingly software-defined, and foreign dependence for these components creates the risk of supply chain disruption or strategic denial. DRDO's Uttam radar and integrated EW systems must be expanded across all military platforms.
On the missile front, India must invest in hypersonic glide vehicles, scramjet propulsion, and advanced seekers. While systems like Agni-V and BrahMos have established deterrence, the next phase requires indigenising guidance, propulsion, and warhead technologies to reduce exposure to sanctions.
Don't Forget Navy
Naval self-reliance is equally essential. India must develop indigenous nuclear propulsion, air-independent systems for submarines, and sonar suites for warships. The strategic shipbuilding base, strengthened by projects like INS Vikrant, needs technological depth and private-sector integration to meet future maritime threats.
Space-based defence infrastructure must be hardened and expanded, especially satellite surveillance, communication, and navigation systems. ISRO's constellation of military satellites proved effective in Operation Sindoor, but micro-satellite swarms, missile early-warning sensors, and secure relay networks are the next frontier.
India must also invest in cyber and AI warfare. A dedicated Defence Cyber Command is needed to build offensive and defensive capabilities, alongside AI tools for battlefield management, autonomous weapons, and predictive logistics.
Finally, defence-grade electronics, semiconductors, embedded systems, and secure microcontrollers must be domestically produced. India's semiconductor mission must explicitly include military applications to secure its electronic backbone.
The next decade will determine whether India merely reduces dependence or truly rewires its defence ecosystem for self-sufficiency. The challenge now is not one of intent but of scale, speed, and strategic discipline. As defence technology becomes increasingly complex, interdisciplinary, and software-defined, India must foster deep integration between research labs, private industry, and operational commands. This will require not just funding or policy reform, but a cultural shift, one that values iterative innovation, tolerates risk, and treats defence R&D as a national strategic asset rather than a budget line.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
Iran's Nuclear Programme: From 1950s Origins To 2025 Destruction
A week after Israel launched an unprecedented attack against Iran over fears about its nuclear ambitions, US strikes overnight on Sunday on three Iranian nuclear sites have further ramped up the dispute. Western powers have repeatedly expressed concerns about the rapid expansion of Iran's nuclear programme, questioning in particular the country's accelerated uranium enrichment. Israel has accused Iran of being on the verge of developing nuclear arms, which Tehran denies. The following is a recap of the main developments regarding Iran's nuclear programme. 'Structured programme' Iran laid the foundation for its nuclear programme in the late 1950s with technical assistance from the United States, when Iran's ruling shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, signed a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Washington. In 1970, Iran ratified the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), committing it to declare its nuclear material to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). But revelations in the early 2000s about undeclared nuclear sites raised concerns. A 2011 IAEA report, collating "broadly credible" intelligence, said that at least until 2003 Iran "carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device". Historic accord left in tatters After suspending enrichment activities, Iran began talks with European and then international powers that would later culminate in a historic deal. On July 14, 2015, Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany reached an accord in Vienna. The deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), placed significant restrictions on Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief after 12 years of crisis and 21 months of protracted negotiations. But the hard-won deal began to unravel when the US, during Donald Trump's first presidency, walked away from it on May 8, 2018, and reimposed sanctions on Iran. 'Nuclear escalation' Following the US withdrawal, Iran retaliated by stepping up its nuclear activities as if "a red cape had been waved in front of a bull", said Clement Therme, associate researcher at the Rasanah International Institute for Iranian Studies. According to Therme, Iran "embarked on a strategy of escalation" in a bid to up pressure and obtain help to circumvent sanctions. But Tehran's moves were unsuccessful and came at an "exorbitant economic cost". Iran first began enriching uranium to five percent -- breaching the limit of 3.67 percent imposed by the deal -- before it raised the enrichment levels to 20 and then to 60 percent in 2021, which is a short step from the 90 percent required for use in a weapon. Iran has also increased its stockpiles of enriched uranium, which was set at 202.8 kilogrammes under the deal. Iran's total enriched uranium stockpile is currently believed to be more than 45 times that limit. And Tehran has since exceeded the number of centrifuges -- the machines used to enrich uranium -- it is allowed to have while beginning to produce more material faster by using advanced models at its plants. Efforts to revive the deal have been fruitless so far, with European-led talks on hold since the summer of 2022. After Trump's return to the White House, talks between Washington and Iran and mediated by Oman resumed in April. While the US president has voiced confidence that Iran would eventually sign a nuclear deal, Tehran said that Israeli strikes targeting a slew of military and nuclear sites "dealt a blow" to diplomacy. On Sunday, Iran's foreign ministry said the US bombings showed that Washington "will stop at no illegality or crime" to support Israel. 'No indication' Faced with Iran's rapidly expanding nuclear programme, the IAEA expressed "serious concern" in its latest quarterly report at the end of May. According to the UN agency, Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state to enrich uranium to 60 percent. It theoretically has enough near-weapons-grade material, if further refined, for more than nine bombs. However, the manufacturing and delivering of a nuclear bomb requires many other steps, including mastering both ballistics and the miniaturisation of the nuclear charge. The IAEA has said it currently has "no indication" of the existence of a "systematic programme" in Iran to produce a nuclear weapon. US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified to a Senate committee in March that Iran was not actively building a nuclear bomb. Iran has always denied having such ambitions, regularly referring to a long-standing fatwa, or religious edict, by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei prohibiting atomic weapons.
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
Zen Diamond looks to open 100 stores in India in 5 years
Diamond jewellery brand Zen Diamond plans to open 100 stores across India by 2030, especially in quality malls, a senior company executive has company has two stores in Mumbai, and has signed up for three more, two in the south and one in the north, taking the total to five by the end of this calendar year., according to the official. "We are looking at retail expansion in India. We are planning to have 100 stores across India in the next five years, initially in the major metros, followed by tier II cities," Zen Diamond India Managing Director Neil Sonawala told PTI. He said the stores will be located in quality malls, which already attract consumers and already have the presence of international brands. For its India presence, the company has already invested Rs 100 crore, funded through internal accruals, he said. "We plan to expand, at least up to 10-15 stores, through internal accrual. Post that, for 100 stores in India in the next five years, we will tap different channels for funding. Maybe it could also be a franchise or we could also have some other alternate funding arrangements. It's a bit premature to talk about that at this stage," he added. Currently, Zen Diamond has over 450 stores across 20 countries. Sonawala further said that Zen Diamond is launching an e-commerce platform and has also collaborated with Pernia's pop-up. "We are launching an e-commerce platform. So, we will also have a shop-in-shop in 4-5 Bernier outlets by the end of the year," he added. When asked about the jewellery designs, Sonawala said, the Zen Diamond stores in India will have 75-80 per cent of selected international designs. "But, of course, in India we also need to blend with the local culture and the local taste and preferences. So, 20 per cent of designs are also created in India and which are more on the Indo-Western line. We are on the modern, trendy, international side of designs, ranging from Rs 20,000 and going all the way up to Rs 15 lakh. Our focus is everyday wear, evening wear and gifting," he added. For this purpose, the company has set up a manufacturing unit in Mumbai with a capacity of producing 5 lakh jewellery pieces annually," he said. "We have a manufacturing unit in Mumbai. So, everything is made in India in our facilities. We have a capacity of close to 35,000-40,000 pieces a month. So, almost 500,000 pieces a year," he added. PTI
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
Ukraine Commander Says Russia Shows No Sign of Winding Down War
Russia shows no signs it plans to wind down its war in Ukraine, with an estimated 695,000 troops deployed across an expanded front line and another 121,000 in strategic reserve, according to Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. With Moscow's invasion of its neighbor well into its fourth year, the Russian military is able to mobilize an average of about 9,000 new troops per month, he said. Bloomberg was unable to independently verify the figures. 'They are preparing for a protracted war, a war of attrition. This is their main strategy. They want to pressure us with their human resources, exhaust us with their mass,' Syrskyi told reporters in Kyiv late Saturday. Syrskyi spoke a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine needed to recognize the 'realities on the ground,' a reference to territory in eastern and southern Ukraine occupied by his forces. Ukraine and its Western partners have been trying to push Russia toward a ceasefire since March. While US President Donald Trump threatened earlier he could consider more sanctions if Moscow rejected a ceasefire, the US leader frustrated allies by dismissing pressure to impose tougher penalties at last week's G-7 summit in Canada. Ukraine will continue deep strikes inside Russian territory, expanding their depth and scale, Syrskyi said. Such attacks — often aimed at targets hundreds of kilometers from the front lines — are Kyiv's most efficient way to inflict military damage on Russia, he added. Syrskyi floated the possibility of new counteroffensives but provided no concrete details. Merely defending doesn't bring anything except slowly losing ground and manpower, he said. 'Of course, we will not simply remain on the full defensive,' Syrskyi said President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday named Brigadier General Hennadii Shapovalov as the new commander of Ukraine's ground forces as the nation prepares to combat Russia's latest push. Addressing troop shortages is expected to be a priority. Syrskyi said that as of mid-June, the front lines in the nation's east and southeast stretch about 1,200 kilometers , an increase of about 200km in the past year. In the last day alone, Ukraine's ground troops repelled some 171 clashes. Even as Kremlin forces look to establish a buffer zone within Ukrainian territory in the Sumy region, Kyiv's troops are maintaining a foothold in Kursk, he said, following a cross-border offensive last summer. 'Ukraine controls 90 square kilometers of the Glushkovskyi district' of Kursk oblast, Syrskyi said. 'These are our preemptive actions in response to a possible Russian offensive.' Syrskyi defended Ukraine's operation in Kursk region, saying it allowed Kyiv's troops to bind Russian forces there. Several Russian units rotated in April into Ukraine's east and southeast, where Kremlin troops have been slowly gaining ground, were forced to redeploy to the Kursk and Sumy regions. Separately, Ukraine's forces have managed to stabilize Russia's attempted advance in the Sumy region, where it has about 50,000 troops, including regaining control of a handful of settlements in recent days, Syrskyi said. Putin on Friday said Moscow's offensive in the region was aimed at creating a 'buffer zone' beyond the border of some 10 to 12 kilometers wide. Russia doesn't have the objective of taking Sumy — including the city with a pre-war population of about 250,000 — 'but we do not rule it out,' he said. 'We have a saying, or parable — wherever the Russian soldier treads is ours.' This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
