According to Reuters, New Delhi is currently pursuing military modernization in drones, including using long-range unmanned quadcopters and other larger autonomous platforms. It is feared that India's newly born industry in the field of drones to meet military needs is feared to have vulnerabilities due to the use of foreign-made components, particularly from China. Chinese components could be offered in communications, cameras, radio transmissions and drone operation software. India's approach aligns with the gradual import restrictions on reconnaissance drones from 2020 and implemented through military tenders. At two meetings in February and March to discuss drone tenders, Indian military officials told potential bidders that equipment or subcomponents from countries sharing a land border with India would not be acceptable for security reasons. According to one tender document, such subsystems have security flaws that jeopardise critical military data. Therefore, vendors are asked to disclose the country where the components offered come from. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking to build up India's drone capabilities to fend off external threats, including from China, where his troops have clashed with Indian troops along the disputed border in recent years. For the period 2023-2024, India has allocated 1.6 trillion rupees (19.77 billion USD) for military modernization. Some 75 per cent is designated for the country's home-grown industry. However, according to the government and various industry experts, China's ban on certain parts has caused local manufacturers to search for components in other countries to decrease the cost of manufacturing.
India Bans the Use of Chinese Parts at UAVs
