Counter-UAS · India

Who defends India against drones?

A living map of India's counter-drone ecosystem — 60 C-UAS systems, 43 manufacturers, ₹374 crore of procurement and 50 deployments, mapped across the detect-to-defeat kill chain with their components and import dependencies. The companion to the Drone Atlas, and the free surface of our unmanned-warfare research.

60 systems (24 Indian)43 makers₹374 cr procured50 deploymentsupdated 2026-07-15

India's counter-drone build-out — the systems, sensors and effectors defending against the drone threat that Op Sindoor made urgent. 60 systems from 43 makers, 66% average indigenous content on Indian systems, deployed across 12+ states. The companion to the Drone Atlas.

The defeat layer

Soft-kill (RF/jam)25

Hard-kill (kinetic)22

Directed-energy15

Interceptor drones12

Deployment map

Counter-UAS value chain, scored

0 import-dependent to 5 sovereign. Aug 2026 research pack; each layer traces to a sourced record.

Detection (RF / radar / EO)3 · Partialmaps to Components & Inputs

Multiple indigenous RF, radar and EO detection stacks fielded; high-end AESA still import-sensitive.

Soft-kill (jamming / takeover)3 · Partialmaps to Manufacturing & Integration

RF jamming and protocol takeover widely deployed in mobile and fixed systems (Zen, Indrajaal, BEL).

Hard-kill (kinetic / net / gun)2 · Emergingmaps to Manufacturing & Integration

Net interceptors, kinetic interceptors and gun systems present; volume production of low-cost interceptors scaling.

Directed energy (laser / microwave)2 · Emergingmaps to Equipment & Capital Goods

BEL 2 kW laser orders reported; microwave DEW prototype ready for user trials; DRDO IDDS Mark-II laser path advancing.

C2 / sensor fusion2 · Emergingmaps to Services & IP

SkyOS and similar C2 layers; Army SAKSHAM-style grid concepts with BEL.

RF / GaN / FPGA components0 · Import-dependentmaps to Components & Inputs

Advanced AESA GaN front-ends and high-end FPGAs remain critical import dependencies for high-performance C-UAS.

What changed

2026-08Indrajaal–Sigma MHA Ranger ~₹155 Cr
MHA border order ~₹145 Cr plus urban/VVIP ~₹10 Cr for mobile Indrajaal Ranger C-UAS patrol vehicles (ARDTC-approved path).
2026-08BEL microwave DEW prototype ready for user trials
BEL reports microwave DEW prototype ready; laser (2 kW) orders already partially supplied per management commentary.
2026-01Zen MoD C-UAS order ~₹332 Cr
Zen Technologies received MoD orders including ₹332 Cr for C-UAS technology (plus simulator components).
2026Zen identifiable C-UAS contracts ~₹614 Cr
Across 2026 disclosures: ~₹332 Cr C-UAS, ~₹245 Cr anti-drone upgrade, ~₹37 Cr hard-kill — identifiable C-UAS total ~₹614 Cr.
2026DRDO IDDS Mark-II / CHESS laser path
Upgraded integrated drone detection and interdiction with higher-power laser reported advancing toward service approval and trials.

The research behind this map

Counter-UAS is one of the fastest-moving areas of Indian defence procurement. The deep-dive analysis sits in our unmanned-warfare research.

Deep dive: India’s Unmanned Warfare Transformation →

Questions

Frequently asked

How big is India's counter-UAS market?

The observable market surface is INR 374 crore of disclosed procurement across 28 agencies, tracked in this Atlas: 60 systems (24 Indian) from 43 manufacturers, with Rafael, DroneShield, BEL, IAI, RTX and Elbit leading. Demand is accelerating - the August 2026 Indian Army order for 840 one-way attack drones widens the threat surface these systems must counter.

What counter-drone (C-UAS) systems does India have?

The Atlas tracks 60 counter-UAS systems, of which 24 are Indian-made — from BEL, DRDO, Zen Technologies, Big Bang Boom and others — filterable by class, mobility and the drone types they counter.

How much has India spent on counter-UAS procurement?

Disclosed contracts total ₹374 crore across 50 known deployments, led by the Army, Air Force and paramilitary — a market that accelerated sharply after Operation Sindoor.

How does a counter-drone system work?

Through a kill chain: detect (radar, RF, EO/IR, acoustic), track, identify, then defeat the drone by soft-kill (RF jamming / GNSS spoofing), hard-kill (kinetic), directed energy (laser/microwave), or an interceptor drone. The Kill Chain tab breaks down each layer.

Which companies make counter-UAS systems in India?

43 manufacturers are tracked; the Indian leaders are BEL and DRDO, with Zen Technologies, Big Bang Boom Solutions, Grene Robotics, Adani and Paras among the growing private field.

What are the import dependencies in Indian counter-UAS?

6 components are rated Critical import dependencies — chiefly AESA radar GaN T/R modules, FPGAs and AI processors — the same semiconductor chokepoints that run through the rest of the Atlas.

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