India Must Speed Up Defence Tech Development, Experts Say at Summit

India's defence sector is undergoing a rapid transformation, with drones, artificial intelligence, counter-drone systems, advanced sensors and electronic warfare becoming central to modern warfare. At the NDTV Defence Summit 2026, experts discussed how the country can build these technologies domestically and, crucially, own the underlying intellectual property. The session was titled "Building Bharat's Arsenal of Innovation: AI, Drones & Beyond".

Bodhisattva Sanghapriya, who works in the drone and defence sector, said India has no shortage of engineers, startups or capital to develop new defence technologies. The real challenge, he argued, is speed — how quickly new technologies are developed and put into use. He noted that drones have fundamentally changed the nature of warfare.

Sanghapriya observed that Indian companies previously focused on surveillance and smaller tactical drones. However, after the recent US-Iran war, demand is shifting towards drones capable of travelling much farther and conducting deep strikes. He said IG Defence has begun work on a drone with a range of around 1,000 km, designed to carry a 50-kg warhead and operate with autonomous capabilities. He added that AI is no longer optional for the defence sector; it is already becoming part of warfare.

Arvind Lakshmikumar of Tonbo Imaging highlighted the need for the technology inside military equipment to evolve as weapons become smaller and cheaper. He explained that while a large, expensive missile can carry a costly sensor, the same sensor may not be viable on a much cheaper loitering munition. Companies must therefore develop new technology for these smaller systems, focusing on making them smaller, lighter, less power-hungry and cheaper.

The panel also discussed counter-drone systems. Brigadier Devasheesh Chowdhury, a veteran associated with ZEN Technologies, said developing a new technology is only the beginning. The real test is whether it can work repeatedly in a real military situation. Stopping an enemy drone once demonstrates that the technology works; doing it repeatedly shows that the armed forces have a proper capability. Chowdhury said drone warfare is changing very quickly, and India cannot keep waiting for new technology to arrive from other countries.

Another part of the discussion focused on how military equipment can avoid detection. Veddika Dalmia of Hyperscale said defence companies usually focus on helping militaries see the enemy better, but there is another side to the problem — making sure the enemy cannot see you. She said camouflage today is not only about hiding from the human eye. Military equipment can be detected by thermal cameras, infrared sensors and other systems, so modern camouflage must also protect against these sensors. Dalmia said Hyperscale is working on technology that can help control the different signals given out by military platforms, usable on both moving and stationary platforms, including vehicles, bunkers and other military sites.

Rear Admiral R Sreenivas spoke about another important shift — Indian companies moving from making individual parts to developing complete defence systems. He said a company that makes only a component mainly looks at that particular part, but when it moves into making subsystems and complete systems, it needs to understand how the technology will actually be used. Sreenivas said Bondada is working on technology that can connect satellite systems with platforms operating in the air. He added that a company cannot spend four years developing a product when technology and warfare are changing every few months. According to him, startups should not wait for a government tender before starting work. He also pointed to the Russia-Ukraine war, where technology companies have worked closely with soldiers and made quick changes based on their feedback. He suggested that Indian companies could also send engineers closer to military users so that products can be tested and improved faster.

Lakshmikumar said being made in India should not be the only reason for buying an Indian product; the technology itself should be good enough to compete globally. He said Tonbo has invested close to Rs 500 crore over the last 10 years in basic research and development. He added that investors in India are now more willing to put money into deep technology than they were 15 or 20 years ago.