DroneSwarm – DRDO Invites Industry to Develop Advanced 50-Drone Combat Formation
DroneSwarm – India is taking another significant step towards strengthening its indigenous unmanned warfare capabilities, with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) inviting private companies and startups to build an advanced swarm of 50 drones capable of flying in an extremely close and coordinated formation. The initiative follows the increased emphasis on drone warfare after Operation Sindoor and is expected to accelerate the development of cutting-edge defence technologies within the country.
Focus on High-Precision Swarm Operations
Under the Technology Development Fund (TDF), DRDO has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking a highly sophisticated drone swarm system. The proposed formation will consist of one master drone controlling 49 slave drones arranged in a seven-by-seven grid. Instead of individually operating each aircraft, a single ground operator will manage the entire swarm through the master drone.
The organisation has laid down demanding performance standards. The drones must maintain a separation of no more than 50 centimetres while ensuring positional accuracy within five centimetres across all three dimensions. These capabilities must remain effective even while operating at altitudes reaching 5,000 metres and in wind speeds of up to 20 metres per second.
Lessons Drawn from Recent Military Operations
The project comes as India’s armed forces continue to strengthen their drone capabilities following Operation Sindoor. During the conflict, senior Army Air Defence officials stated that Pakistan deployed hundreds of drones across the western border over several days, highlighting the growing role of unmanned systems in modern military engagements.
Since then, the Indian Army has expanded evaluations of indigenous loitering munitions, counter-drone technologies and autonomous aerial platforms. Private companies and emerging defence startups have also become increasingly involved in developing solutions that can be inducted into service more quickly.
According to defence sources, while the armed forces are directly collaborating with industry for several programmes, DRDO’s Technology Development Fund remains essential for supporting advanced technologies that require extensive research and innovation.
Technical Standards Set a High Benchmark
The proposed swarm system demands exceptional levels of coordination. Any positional deviation must be corrected within approximately 500 milliseconds, allowing the formation to remain stable despite environmental disturbances. The drones must also support dynamic reconfiguration from the ground whenever operational requirements change.
Experts note that maintaining such close spacing leaves almost no room for navigation or control errors. Even minor system failures could result in collisions, making precision flight control and reliable communication critical components of the project.
Each drone is expected to carry payloads weighing between 500 grams and two kilograms while remaining airborne for at least 30 minutes. Batteries should be capable of rapid charging within 15 minutes, and the complete system must be ready for deployment within five minutes after unpacking.
Maritime and Electronic Warfare Requirements
The project extends beyond land-based operations by including a dedicated maritime capability. Drones launched from moving naval platforms must be able to accurately return to the ship rather than the geographical point from which they initially took off.
Electronic warfare resilience has also been identified as a priority. DRDO requires the communication network to remain operational over a five-kilometre range even in contested electromagnetic environments. The communication system is expected to function across approved frequency bands while incorporating Electronic Counter-Countermeasure (ECCM) features to withstand jamming attempts.
Indigenous Technology at the Core
The programme encourages the development of several advanced technologies, including swarm intelligence, artificial intelligence, flight-control software, edge computing, cybersecurity, precision navigation and electronic warfare protection.
DRDO has additionally emphasised greater use of India’s Navigation with Indian Constellation (NAVIC), indigenous autopilot systems and locally manufactured sensors such as Inertial Measurement Units and Light Detection and Ranging equipment. More than 70 per cent of the system’s components must originate from domestic sources, while commercially available equipment from adversary nations has been specifically discouraged.
Opportunity for Indian Startups and MSMEs
The selected development agency will be responsible for delivering a complete package that includes 50 drones, batteries with full spare support, communication infrastructure, control systems, software applications and source codes.
Prototype development and initial functional testing are expected to be completed within 12 months. The remaining qualification trials, technology transfer activities and project completion are planned over a total period of 24 months.
Participation has been restricted to Indian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and startups. Defence Public Sector Undertakings and other government-owned enterprises are not eligible to participate, reflecting the government’s continued effort to encourage innovation and technological advancement within the private defence manufacturing ecosystem.