The Author is Former Director General of Information Systems and A Special Forces Veteran, Indian Army

India has developed the first dual-stealth drone according to news reports of July 23, 2025. Developed by two Hyderabad-based firms, 'Veera Dynamics' and 'Binford Research Labs', the drone is wrapped in a cloak of nanotechnology, combining autonomous flight with a new material that hides platforms from both radar and infrared (IR) sensors. The stealth material called RAMA (Radar Absorption & Multispectral Adaptive) uses nanotechnology and can be applied as paint or wrap on military assets. It blends two carbon compounds that absorb radar waves and convert them into heat, which disperses at a rate of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) per second.

By syncing with ambient temperatures, RAMA helps platforms achieve thermal balance, cutting both radar cross-section and heat signatures. Originally designed for a 2022 naval challenge focused on IR stealth, the technology achieved a 97 per cent reduction in IR signature. It has since been upgraded to reduce radar visibility by over 90 per cent. The Indian Army recently tested these dual-stealth drones integrated with RAMA by Veera Dynamics and Binford Research Labs. These drones are built to operate where GPS and radio signals are jammed and remaining undetected is critical. Binford founder Sidhanth Jain says. "Our drones, equipped with RAMA, can carry out covert, high-risk missions in contested zones. It significantly compresses the adversaries detect-to-engage window to near-zero." Development of these dual-stealth drones is backed by the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) programme of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), which also received support from IIT Hyderabad in the early stages of development of these drones.

India has developed the first dual-stealth drone. The stealth material called RAMA (Radar Absorption & Multispectral Adaptive) uses nanotechnology and can be applied as paint or wrap on military assets.

Concurrently, India is finalising a defence deal with US-based 'Shield AI' to enable the Indian Air Force (IAF) acquire the advanced V-BAT combat drones while also establishing local manufacturing under a transfer of technology (ToT) agreement. In November 2024, Shield AI agreed for a joint venture (JV) with India's JSW Defence and Aerospace to make and test V-BAT drones in India. Under the deal, JSW is to invest $65 million within one year and a total of $90 million over two years for transfer of technology, to set up production facilities, comply with global manufacturing standards, and train Indian engineers and technicians to locally produce, assemble, test, and maintain the V-BAT drones.

According to news reports of July 28, 2025, India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) was in advanced talks with Shield AI to buy V-BAT drones for the Indian Air Force (IAF) for $35 million, as part of a $4.5 billion emergency procurement programme initiated after Operation 'Sindoor'. V-BAT have been operationally deployed in multiple regions, including the Black Sea, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and in Ukraine. These drones are deployed with the US Marines Expeditionary Forces and with Japan's Maritime Self Defence Force (MSDF).

India is finalising a defence deal with US-based 'Shield AI' to enable the Indian Air Force (IAF) acquire the advanced V-BAT combat drones while also establishing local manufacturing under a transfer of technology (ToT) agreement.

The V-BAT is an unmanned aerial system (UAS) featuring fixed wings and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability, providing long endurance for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. General characteristics of the MQ 35A V-BAT drone of Shield AI include: Crew – none; Length - 12.5 ft (3.8 m); Wingspan - 9.6 ft (2.9 m); Gross Weight - 161 lb (73 kg); Powerplant - 1 × Heavy Fuel Engine (JP5); Maximum Speed - 56 mph (90 km/h, 49 kn); Endurance - 13+ hours; Service ceiling - 18,000 ft (5,500 m); Avionics – electro -optical (EO)/mid-wave infrared (MWIR) cameras. The Shield AI-JSW Defence and Aerospace partnership envisions not only fulfilling India's defence needs but also positioning India as a global manufacturing hub for V-BAT drones. This collaboration marks one of the rare occasions where India has secured full technology transfer on a high-tech defence platform from a US firm. Whether Trump's tariff threats will see fulfilment of this deal remains to be seen.

Two 20-year-old students pursuing engineering from BITS Pilani engineered a radar-evading kamikaze drone in just 60 days in their hostel room.

In an amazing development, 20-year-old Jayant Khatri from Ajmer, Rajasthan and Shaurya Chaudhary from Kolkata pursuing engineering from BITS Pilani engineered a radar-evading kamikaze drone in just 60 days in their hostel room. The field-tested radar-evading drone is capable of hitting speeds over 300 kmph. These kamikaze drones have been tested by the Indian Army and now there are reports that their startup 'Apollyon Dynamics' has received procurement orders directly from the Indian Army.

Jayant and Shaurya told the media that the drones made by them have the capability to operate in any weather or area with strength. After this, the drones were also tested in Jammu, Bengal and Arunachal. After success in all the tests, the Indian Army has ordered these drones. In this sequence, this team has also grown. Six more BITS Pilani students have joined the startup 'Apollyon Dynamics'. Their next goal is to prepare products with fixed wing and vertical take off and landing (VTOL). Along with this, they have also offered to train the army people to operate it.

Indigenous firm 'Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited' has joined the race to build high-endurance Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drones.

In another interesting development indigenous firm 'Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited' has joined the race to build high-endurance Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drones. The firm, a part of the industrial explosives giant 'Solar Industries' is vying to produce 87 MALE drones for the Indian Armed Forces, in a project costing approximately ₹12,000 crore. The tender being an IAF-led tri-service procurement, designed to the meet the urgent need for continuous surveillance along our borders, as well as enhanced monitoring in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The primary role of these drones will be to provide real-time ISR inputs to the military commanders. The technical requirements set for these high-endurance MALE drones specify that the drone must have an endurance of 30 hours while flying at an altitude of 35,000 feet; more capable than the US MQ-9 Reaper and Israel's Heron TP drones. Also, the drones must have 60 per cent indigenous content. Solar Defence and Aerospace has already secured approval from the MoD to locally develop a MALE UAV platform. Notably, the company has long-term plans to develop high-endurance MALE drones capable of flying above 50,000 feet for more than 36 hours, giving India a bigger strategic advantage.