India plans $234 million drone incentive scheme 

India is set to roll out a $234 million incentive programme aimed at strengthening its civil and military drone manufacturing capabilities. 

The move comes amid growing drone use in conflicts with Pakistan and rising competition from Chinese and Turkish-backed drone technology in the region.

The three-year scheme - led by the civil aviation ministry and supported by the defence ministry — targets domestic production of drones, components, software, counter-drone systems, and related services. 

It builds on India’s modest ₹1.2 billion drone start-up incentive launched in 2021, which struggled to spur significant growth due to funding and R&D challenges.

India’s push for indigenous drones accelerated after a four-day clash with Pakistan in May, when both sides deployed UAVs, loitering munitions, and kamikaze drones extensively — marking their first large-scale drone conflict. Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh recently stated:  “We’ve learned that we need to double down on indigenisation to build a large, effective military drone ecosystem.”

Source: Agencies