With around 55% of its revenue already coming from North America, L&T Technology Services (LTTS) has taken a bold step. It has inaugurated its new Engineering Design Centre in Plano, Texas. 

The facility, which is set to create at least 350 high-skilled jobs, marks a significant step in the company’s long-term strategy to expand nearshore operations and deepen its presence in AI, cybersecurity, digital manufacturing, and defence systems compliant with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

US leaders welcomed LTTS’ commitment to local innovation. Senator Ted Cruz hailed the centre as a “testament to excellence and ingenuity”, while US Congressman Pat Fallon called it “a bright signal of Texas’ leadership in innovation”.

The launch event was attended by key dignitaries, including Plano mayor John B Muns, Fallon, the Consul General of India in Houston, Manjunath Chenneerappa, and LTTS mobility and tech president Alind Saxena.

Why Texas?

Texas, with its influx of corporate headquarters and a maturing tech ecosystem, was a deliberate choice. “Many companies have relocated to Texas. That creates an ecosystem which is important for forward-looking technologies—from AI and cybersecurity to digital manufacturing and aerospace,” Saxena told AIM in an exclusive interview.

“This centre is more than just an engineering hub—it’s a symbol of our promise to bring innovation closer to our clients across all major segments and industries that we serve,” Saxena said. “Plano is now a critical pillar in our global delivery model, working closely with local partners and talent to co-create industry-defining solutions right here in Texas.”

With nearly 2,400 professionals already deployed across North America, LTTS views this investment as both strategic and timely.

The centre is built to design, develop, and test defence-grade systems, with half the facility reserved for secure, aerospace and defence work. It will also drive innovation in cybersecurity—including a dedicated Security Operations Centre—while advancing AI, digital manufacturing, medical tech, and smart transportation, especially in trucking and off-highway vehicles.

Mayor Muns summed up the moment: “LTTS is not just creating jobs—it is shaping the future of advanced technology development and smart manufacturing in North Texas.”

LTTS sees this investment as a key component of its growth strategy. What makes it unique is the dual focus on deep-tech product development and a tightly controlled ITAR-compliant environment for aerospace and defence work, critical for working with US clients on secure technologies.

In its initial phase, the centre will house 100 engineers, with plans to scale further across core sectors including mobility, aerospace, and medical technologies. 

What Will the Centre Focus On?

The centre is already working on next-generation systems like real-time railway inspection tools, ADAS frameworks, software-defined imaging for endoscopy, and AI-powered simulation environments built on NVIDIA’s Omniverse. Saxena noted that these innovations are not just software-first. 

“We are among the few pushing AI into mechanical and embedded systems development,” Saxena said. “There’s a lot of AI that can also be applied to mechanical and embedded systems design. We’re positioning ourselves uniquely in those areas.”

Crucially, the Plano centre will allow LTTS to shrink product development cycles through edge AI and simulation, while also serving as a real-world testing ground. “That last 1% of accuracy—the difference between working in theory and working in the field—is where this centre will deliver,” Saxena said.

The aim is to reduce the product development life cycle using AI agents, not replace engineers. “It’s not either/or—we’re using AI to make engineers more productive. Maybe earlier we’d need 1,000 people; now we can do it with 350 smart ones,” she further said.

Half of the facility is dedicated to defence-grade development that is only accessible to US citizens. “We’ve built isolated, secure environments that comply with government regulations and let customers co-develop critical systems with us right here in the US,” he added.

LTTS has also confirmed plans to integrate its Fusion platform—originally used for large-scale deployments like Kumbh Mela in India—to handle smart manufacturing and logistics scenarios in the US. “Data is coming from everywhere. Fusion helps make sense of it all, especially as US manufacturing gets reshored and needs to operate at higher efficiency levels,” Saxena said.

LTTS plans to hire local engineers in Texas to strengthen context-driven innovation. 

“People who grow up in an environment understand its practical nuances. That gives us an edge not just in tech but in relevance,” Saxena noted. He doesn’t see AI agents replacing engineers but amplifying them. “It’s not about hiring AI agents instead of people. It’s about using AI to make great engineers even better,” he said.

While the company is currently focused on Plano, more design centres are on the way. “We are always looking at expanding—both in the US and globally. You will hear more from us soon,” Saxena said.

The post Why LTTS is Designing AI-based Defence Tech in Texas appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

ZUPPA Geo Navigation Technologies, India’s leading deep-tech drone developer and manufacturer, set up a cutting-edge maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) Lab on Wednesday at the Madras Regimental Centre (MRC) in collaboration with the Dakshin Bharat Area. 

This move comes in response to the Indian Army Chief’s call in November 2024 for a “drone for every soldier”, while highlighting the need to empower Indian soldiers to independently operate, maintain, and troubleshoot drones during active conflict.

The establishment of the MRO lab follows the success of Operation Sindoor, which demonstrated the critical need for soldiers to not only operate drones but to maintain them in real time during missions.

“The real challenge in drone warfare lies not just in flying them, but in understanding the intricate electronic systems—especially the impact of high electromagnetic fields (EMF) on sensitive onboard sensors,” Sai Pattabiram, founder and managing director of ZUPPA, said. “That’s what our MRO lab will offer—a hands-on, tech-intensive learning framework built for scale.”

The proposal for the lab stemmed from technical discussions between Lt Gen Karanbir Brar, general officer commanding at Dakshin Bharat Area, and ZUPPA. It includes DGCA-certified drone pilot training and licensing, in partnership with TNUAV Corporation. Following approval, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between ZUPPA and MRC, marking the beginning of the project’s implementation.

A unique feature of the ZUPPA MRO Lab is its learning management system (LMS), which delivers modular, bite-sized lessons on topics ranging from component identification to advanced EMF diagnostics. This LMS can be accessed remotely, benefiting both instructors and learners. 

The lab’s approach is particularly valuable for scaling instruction across the mass Agniveer training programs, as well as providing training to retiring soldiers to support post-service careers and currently serving armed forces professionals enrolled in various military courses.

“The Indian Army’s adoption of our fully indigenous MRO solution is a strong validation of both our technical expertise and our delivery model,” Venkatesh Sai, co-founder and technical director at ZUPPA, said. “We see a huge opportunity to replicate this success across other regimental training centres.”

The company has also deployed its Innovation Labs at AICTE-approved institutions and engineering colleges, aiming to bridge the gap between defence requirements and academic research. Looking ahead, ZUPPA plans to expand the MRO program to other technical arms of the Indian Army, further enhancing India’s self-reliance in defence technology.

The post ZUPPA Launches Drone MRO Lab at Madras Regimental Centre to Strengthen Defence Capabilities appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

As industries wake up to the power of location intelligence, Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies are becoming integral to sectors such as urban planning, agriculture, transportation, and disaster management. These tools empower organisations to make informed decisions, streamline operations, and deliver services with greater impact. 

The global GIS market is experiencing significant growth. Projections indicate an increase from $32.97 billion in 2024 to $55.75 billion by 2029, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.1%. In India, the geospatial solutions sector is poised for substantial expansion. It is expected to grow from $23.5 billion in 2024 to $79.3 billion by 2030, driven by advancements in 3D scanning and spatial analytics. 

When it comes to geospatial technology in the country, Esri India is a heavyweight you can’t ignore. The company, led by managing director Agendra Kumar since 2013, is quietly powering millions of daily users and thousands of government organisations with its GIS technology.

“We have close to 6,500 organisational customers in the country. In terms of users, maybe 1.2 million people use some app running on our technology every day,” Kumar told AIM in an exclusive interview. The scope for Esri is quite vast—from national mapping agencies to utilities like electric distribution companies, city gas firms, and telecom giants such as Jio and Airtel. 

“About 70% of our revenue comes from the government,” he added, explaining the deep integration with various state and national bodies.

Digital Earth, Living Atlas and AI

Esri India is not just a software company; it creates geospatial technology and invests heavily in data. A flagship initiative is its ‘Living Atlas’, a cloud-hosted repository that curates openly published data from government sources. 

“If it’s not geo-referenced, somebody from our team will work on that, geo-reference it. If it’s available in PDF or Excel files, we geo-reference and bring that data into our Living Atlas, which is a very large repository of data now.” Kumar explained that more than a thousand layers of data are available in this.

This freely accessible data resource is complemented by over 200 solution products developed to tackle common challenges such as disaster management, flooding, forest fires, drainage, and water distribution—all created by Indian teams for the country’s niche needs.

A significant part of Esri India’s recent technological advances is in AI and machine learning. Kumar described how these are integrated for practical uses, with the initial use cases being primarily technical. This feature extraction is simply just object identification. 

Citing examples from traffic analysis to identifying defence vehicles or aircraft, he explained, “Human identification can be done. For example, we had done something in the office. We counted the number of people passing near the reception [using this]. Even face recognition can be done if it is required.”

Keeping Secrets and Boundaries

Handling sensitive data, especially in defence, demands tight security and ethical care. Kumar stressed that Esri India never holds defence data. “Their data remains on their premises on their computers. So even if there’s an application to be done, often our people will go to their office and work.” 

Esri India’s Indo ArcGIS is a comprehensive GIS software platform that enables organisations to create, manage, and analyse spatial data. It supports mapping, data integration, and location-based intelligence for diverse sectors including government, utilities, defence, and urban management. 

With capabilities like AI, machine learning, and 3D visualisation, ArcGIS helps users gain actionable insights from geographic data, improving decision-making and operational efficiency across India.

The ArcGIS platform can be on the cloud or totally on-premises, not necessarily requiring a connection to the internet. Hence, this allows the solution to stay with the client. Highlighting the mutual trust in this arrangement, he said, “They also do not want to expose what they have, and we also don’t want to get into those things.”

Defence and Security GIS

Esri India’s engagement with defence and security agencies dates back long before Kumar joined the company. “Many of them have become advanced users of our technology. They don’t really need our help every day to use it. They know how to use it because they also deal with a lot of confidential information,” he said.

The company supports organisations such as DRDO and homeland security agencies with mapping and weather modelling, which are crucial for extreme conditions like cold, snow, and avalanches. 

Kumar highlighted the importance of location intelligence in security operations. According to him, GIS is known as ‘the science of where’. It captures all types of information, such as what is happening and where an incident has taken place. This information then gets converted to a map and is available to the decision makers.

Real-time situational awareness is vital in conflict. “Systems have to be created well in advance because you can’t create them when the action has to be taken,” Kumar added.

Esri India processes drone data, providing both cloud and on-premise solutions, including 3D visualisation tools that support navigation, target setting, asset management, and strategic planning. 

“So, they are very realistic images, creating fly-throughs and walk-throughs. This helps in navigation, target setting, target identification,” Kumar said. While the data collected for defence remains strictly with the forces themselves, Esri’s technology supports its use in simulations, training, and planning.

“If there is a monument which needs to be protected, and there is a suspicion that someday terrorists may attack it, you want to train some commandos. So you can use a 3D model to train commandos on how to go inside, what to expect inside,” Kumar noted.

The Road Ahead

Though the GIS sector in India is still emerging, Kumar is optimistic about its trajectory. He attributed this to recent government policies, adding that till 2021, there was a lack of clarity on geospatial data policies. 

The companies were initially uncertain about rules surrounding acquisition. This is why the new set of guidelines came out in 2021, followed by the National Geospatial Policy in 2022. “So these two documents, along with remote sensing data policy and drone policy, have made the whole ecosystem quite conducive for business,” he added.

This clarity has enabled wider adoption beyond government into private sectors like manufacturing, retail, BFSI (banking, financial services, and insurance), and logistics. “Success for retail distribution, optimisation in manufacturing and logistics, insurance claims settlement—these are some of the things which are upcoming,” Kumar said.

He also pointed to the rising interest in 3D mapping and digital twins, technologies that go beyond pretty visualisations to solving real problems such as urban flooding and infrastructure management. He acknowledged that the true value of a digital twin will come when it’s used to solve a problem, be it traffic, urban flooding or improving the utility infrastructure.

The Indian government’s flagship projects, such as Gati Shakti, SVAMITVA, and Naksha, have been pivotal in boosting the geospatial ecosystem by creating foundational mapping data for villages and cities.

Kumar noted that the industry still involves “a lot of service orientation and not so much of technology orientation”. He expects this to shift with time as startups and educational institutions increasingly embrace geospatial innovation.

The post This Company Simulates Training For Indian Commandos, Creates a Living Atlas appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

India’s defence drone sector took centre stage following the recent tensions between India and Pakistan. The successful deployment of indigenously developed drones during ‘Operation Sindoor’ to neutralise terror networks underscored their strategic importance.

However, the sector continues to face hurdles, including regulatory ambiguity, import restrictions, and limits on technology transfer, said retired Major General Mandip Singh, in an email interview with AIM. He’s also the president of strategic alliance at Droneacharya Aerial Innovation Ltd. 

Singh pointed to government initiatives like the Make in India campaign, the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission, and regulatory frameworks, such as the Drone Rules 2021 and the Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) 2020, as gradually creating a more conducive environment for Indigenous manufacturers and encouraging local production and innovation.

“Further policy support is needed for R&D, skilling of our vast human resource, ease of procurement processes, and recognition for indigenous content,” he added.

According to a Grand View Research report, India’s military drone market is projected to reach $4,082 million by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.9% from 2025 to 2030. As of 2024, India holds a 3.8% share of the global military drone market.

Lessons from Indo-Pak border tensions

The recent border clashes underscored the critical role of drones in surveillance, situational awareness, and rapid response, Singh said.

“For startups, this reaffirms the need to focus on reliable, high-performance drones that can operate in challenging terrain and provide real-time intelligence,” Singh said.  “It reminds them that the future of modern warfare is increasingly reliant on cutting-edge drone technology.” 

Another key takeaway is the imperative for indigenous equipment and domestic supply chains—no nation can afford reliance on external sources during conflict. Since the tensions, Droneacharya has accelerated the integration of artificial intelligence into its projects.

“Intelligent drones with lethal precision neutralised enemy targets with zero collateral damage in this brief skirmish. This is set to become the new standard,” Singh noted.

Counter-drone solutions

Addressing the rising demand for counter-drone systems, Singh said startups are innovating rapidly to meet defence requirements.

“This includes early detection, jamming, and neutralisation systems to secure critical airspace,” he said. 

With the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India programmes, the industry is increasingly leveraging locally sourced components and indigenous manufacturing, aligning with the government’s push for a robust domestic defence ecosystem. 

Singh also warned that India’s northern neighbour remains the world’s largest producer, seller, and user of dual-use drones, which serve both commercial and military purposes.

R&D and strategic partnerships

India’s push for indigenous drone capabilities dates back to the 1990s with DRDO’s early UAV projects. National campaigns and updated regulations have since accelerated sector growth.

“Drones can be significant job creators and economic growth drivers,” the Ministry of Civil Aviation noted in 2021, adding that India has the potential to become a global drone hub by 2030.

The Drone Rules 2021 also proposed establishing a Drone Promotion Council, which would bring together academia, startups, and stakeholders to foster an innovation-friendly regulatory environment.

Singh revealed that the Droneacharya’s R&D efforts are focused on enhancing drone durability, range, and real-time data processing, alongside AI and machine learning integration for precise threat detection. 

The company is also developing heavy-lifting drones and logistics drones. 

DroneAcharya is actively exploring partnerships with both domestic and global technology leaders to strengthen capabilities and co-develop advanced defence-grade drones that align with the government’s Make in India initiative and address emerging security threats to international standards. 

When asked about investor interest following the border tensions, Singh said the situation has sparked renewed focus on defence technologies and mission-critical drones, positively impacting investor sentiment.

“We hope this momentum leads to policy reforms that incentivise MSMEs and SMEs to contribute to building a resilient drone ecosystem,” he concluded.

The post India’s Defence Drone Industry Gains Momentum, But Regulatory Challenges Persist appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

As tensions between India and Pakistan reignite along the Line of Control (LoC), a new set of defence actors has taken flight. What the previous generations knew as the defence industry—defined by khaki uniforms, government public sector undertakings (PSUs), and bureaucratic tenders—is no longer the whole story. 

Today, India’s defence preparedness is shaped as much by engineers in Bengaluru or Hyderabad as by soldiers at the LoC. Private drone startups such as ideaForge, Garuda Aerospace, Asteria Aerospace, IG Drones, as well as companies like Scandron, are now integral to India’s frontline strategy. These are building and deploying unmanned aerial systems (UAS) that are not only confined to agriculture, solar, surveying, or disaster relief, but also for defence uses.

These firms are rapidly scaling operations and increasing production to deliver tactical and surveillance drones, responding to heightened demand from defence forces seeking advanced aerial capabilities. “We are the tool that collects data right now,” said Vishal Saxena, vice president at ideaForge, in an interview with AIM. “We are behind the scenes, not visual. That’s our job. Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems are typically that.”

Private Drones, Public Battles

Focused initially on civilian applications such as agriculture and infrastructure monitoring, these drone companies are now adapting their technologies for military use. This pivot reflects a broader trend where private tech firms are becoming integral to national security strategies, supplying equipment that was once exclusively the domain of state-run defence manufacturers.

Garuda Aerospace, once best known for its agricultural drones, has launched a line of dual-use platforms tailored for both civilian and paramilitary use. The company has openly discussed plans to ramp up production of surveillance drones capable of day-night operation in high-altitude zones. Founder Agnishwar Jayaprakash has spoken about India’s growing need for “tactical autonomy”, the strategic role that Indian startups can play, and the crucial role Garuda drones played in ‘Operation Sindoor’.

“Two thousand drones equipped with payload dropping mechanisms are ready to be delivered, and 2,000 more are in production at the Garuda manufacturing facility,” he told AIM.

Other startups like NewSpace Research and Technologies and Asteria Aerospace are developing more advanced systems, including swarming drones and autonomous AI-powered surveillance platforms. While still in development or early deployment, these innovations represent the future of battlefield tech—decentralised, fast, and difficult to detect or counter using traditional air defence methods.

A Surge in Defence Demand

In light of recent operations like India’s Operation Sindoor, the defence ministry has issued urgent requirements for a wide range of drone capabilities, from high-altitude ISR units to loitering munitions. For companies like Scandron, the ask is both specific and immediate.

“The Army has come up with a basic list of requirements. Some of those are readily met, some require fast-track development,” Arjun Naik, CEO of Scandron, told AIM. “Our drones fit those bills and have been modified to meet the terrain-specific requirements.”

Scandron, known for its logistics and support unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), is now scaling production from 300 to 400 units a month to between 800 and 2,000, depending on requirements by the defence. “We have expanded infrastructure and human resource capability,” Naik added.

ideaForge is experiencing a similar spike due to its capability, but also acknowledges the capacity gap. “While the user may want 10,000 drones tomorrow, can I manufacture that? The capability exists. The capacity, however, is a question mark,” Saxena said.

Indigenous Roots

Firms are investing heavily in research and development while chasing certification from the Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA), which governs drone systems intended for defence use. IG Drones has emerged as a vital player with its vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) and first-person view FPV drone systems. These are engineered for high-endurance surveillance and real-time tactical reconnaissance in rugged terrains.

“Our drones are proudly ‘Made in India’ and contain no Chinese components,” Bodhisattwa Sanghapriya, founder and CEO of IG Drones, told AIM. “With over 75% indigenous capability, we are redefining sovereign tech at the border.”

IG Drones has also developed India’s first indigenous military drone simulator, offering low-risk, high-fidelity training, a key force multiplier as defence forces prepare to induct large fleets. Saxena also expressed that drones can be made in India. At the least, ideaForge is consciously making sure not to touch any components from “geographies of concern”. 

“Today, apart from those very critical systems which are not available in India, 97% of the components could come from India.” He added that they may not be the world’s best components, or only 60–70% of them may be. “There would still be about 20–30% of components that need more deliberation.”

Know Your #Military Drones
From real-time #reconnaissance to precision strikes, drones are reshaping modern warfare. For instance, our surveillance drones—such as the #NETRA and #SWITCH UAVs—are deployed globally for ISR, search & rescue, counterinsurgency, & border surveillance pic.twitter.com/4bLqwFoeOp

— ideaForge Technology Limited (@ideaforge_tech) May 12, 2025

For indigenous development, even Mughilan Thiru Ramasamy, co-founder and CEO at Skylark Drones, said, “We are working to figure out how our software capabilities, especially around surveillance, will be useful for the Indian defence.”

The Quiet Arms Race

According to reports, India employed Israeli Harop drones for precision strikes on Pakistani air defences, to which Pakistan claimed to have downed multiple units. 

This rapid militarisation isn’t just about meeting immediate defence needs. It’s triggering a larger shift in how India views innovation, sovereignty, and supply chains.

While the government’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ programmes have given startups a platform, it’s the private sector’s R&D push that’s now taking centre stage.

“There is a sweet spot emerging, tactical drones that do 50 to 100 km with distributed capability,” Saxena explained. “Instead of one MQ-9 Reaper doing 10 tasks, what if you had 100 drones doing one each? The mindset is shifting toward distributed platforms.”

Naik agreed to this, acknowledging that the R&D cost is huge. However, he pointed out that this is precisely the path taken by Israelis and Americans, which he hopes to follow. “We don’t quite have that level of technological advancement yet, but our drones cost a fraction of what the Israeli drones cost.”

Who Holds the Trigger?

This new defence-industrial ecosystem also introduces murky questions around accountability. While none of the featured companies currently supply armed drones, their technologies undeniably enable more precise and potentially lethal targeting.

“Our drones are not armed,” Saxena said. “Luckily, that dilemma isn’t there. But if we were making that tech, the question would be: should there even be a war? That’s a larger question than the tech itself.”

As Naik succinctly put it, “We’re building tools for security, not aggression. But once you sell to the military, you don’t control the mission.”

The New Defence Line

Despite the urgency, many companies warn that the lack of long-term procurement clarity hampers planning. They argue that the Indian drone sector needs both sustained demand and a robust domestic supply chain to truly scale.

“Drone startups are not just vendors, they are catalysts of national transformation,” Sanghapriya further said.

Meanwhile, Naik remarked, “India has about 900 drone companies, but fewer than 10 are serious players. The rest are traders. Now the real manufacturers will come to the forefront.”With ethical tightropes to walk, regulatory frameworks to solidify, and enemy radars to dodge, India’s drone startups are flying in uncharted airspace. And for now, they’re holding formation.

The post Indian-Made Drones are Watching the Line of Control from the Sky appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

Hope was rekindled across the subcontinent when the Indian government confirmed on May 10 that Pakistan had initiated contact for dialogue, culminating in a direct ceasefire agreement between the two nations.

This diplomatic shift was preceded by the decisive and carefully executed Operation Sindoor, India’s bold military retaliation launched on May 7.

Operation Sindoor was a demonstration of modern warfare—a carefully planned offensive that targeted terror infrastructure located deep within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). 

As per multiple reports and media briefings, drones took the centre stage in the cross-border operations between India and Pakistan.

India is reported to have deployed IAI Harop drones during Operation Sindoor. These Israeli-made loitering munitions blend the endurance of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) with the precision of missiles. Capable of loitering for up to nine hours over a 200 km range, these kamikaze drones use electro-optical sensors to hunt and destroy high-value targets.

On the other hand, the Indian government on May 9 reportedly confirmed that Pakistan had launched 300-400 drones across the western border—likely Songar drones developed by Turkish-origin Asisguard. Notably, many of these were intercepted and shot down by Indian air defences.

The Cost Factor

One key reason for the extensive use of drones in the recent operation is their cost-effectiveness. However, one of the most critical contemporary challenges we face today is Pakistan’s deployment of swarm drones.

In an interview with AIM, Sai Pattabiram, managing director at Zuppa Geo Nav Tech, said, “At present, we’re largely countering them with either gunfire or missile systems.” 

This approach, however, is not economically sustainable in the long run. 

When hundreds of drones—sometimes 300 to 400—are launched in a swarm, it’s nearly impossible to shoot all of them down. The bigger concern, he added, is the asymmetry in cost—high-value missiles are often used to neutralise relatively inexpensive drones.

“A missile may cost upwards of ₹100 crore, while the drone it’s targeting might be worth just ₹20 lakh. That’s the kind of economic imbalance we’re dealing with.” The drones may be of limited capabilities, but they are used for targeted purposes. 

In fact, between September 2022 and December 2024, Russia reportedly launched over 19,000 missiles at Ukraine, including more than 14,700 Shahed one-way attack drones—Iranian-made systems modified with advanced guidance and countermeasures. 

With a 2,000-kilometre range, 40-kilogram payload, and a modest price tag of around $35,000, Shahed drones have become Russia’s most cost-effective strike weapon, as the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) reported.

India does not have an equivalent to Shahed loitering munition in terms of range, payload, and cost, but several indigenous systems are in development. 

As Pattabiram said, the drones that carried out the strikes in the recent operation were part of what’s known as loitering munitions, manufactured in Bengaluru by Alpha Design in collaboration with Elbit Systems from Israel.

The CSIS report noted that despite a hit rate of less than 10%, the low cost of these drones allowed Russia to sustain relentless waves of strikes, overwhelming Ukrainian defences and sustaining a war of attrition that drains resources while spreading fear across civilian areas.

Chinese Components in India’s Defence Drones

Pattabiram further clarified that, structurally, most drones are virtually identical to regular aircraft, with the primary difference being that they replace the human pilot with an electronic printed circuit board (PCB).

When discussing the use of drones in defence, he pointed out that their effectiveness depends mainly on their application. However, he stressed that internal technology, both the hardware and cybersecurity, is equally critical.

He went on to reveal that, until recently, the Indian Army was unaware of just how extensively Chinese components had made their way into Indian defence drones, raising serious concerns about potential vulnerabilities.

“After a couple of hackings of the drones by both Pakistanis and the Chinese, the Indian Army realised that cyber security is an important factor,” Pattabiram added.

Over the past six months, his company has worked closely with the Indian Army as an industry partner to address this vulnerability. He emphasised that Zuppa is an Indian company with a complete cyber-physical stack.

The company’s firmware is based on patented technology granted by the Indian Patent Office on April 10, 2024.

Drones, AI and Beyond

Pattabiram revealed that the company has not only developed drones but is also actively supplying them to the Indian Army and paramilitary forces for surveillance and related operations. 

However, he did mention that their drones haven’t been used in the recent operation, while talks are underway with the government for future deployment.

He referred to a specific model called the Ajeet Mini, which is the only completely secure Indian micro-category drone that has been flown at the Eastern Command in Amritsar.

“They have a much shorter range of three to five kilometres,” he further explained.

Pattabiram also elaborated on the additional layers of artificial intelligence (AI) integrated into their drone systems, going well beyond the basic autopilot functionality.

“Over and above that, we also have other layers of AI that operate, which involves what you would call a swarming capability—multiple drones working together,” he said.

Zuppa is introducing more advanced AI functions such as target tracking, target identification and action. “This means, if I train the drone in a particular enemy shape, it will automatically attack that enemy shape the moment it sees it in its camera,” Pattabiram explained.

When asked about the company’s association with the Indian Army and whether its drones had been used in Arunachal Pradesh, he clarified, “It was a demonstration to prove that a small 2 kg drone, with a flight time of 25 minutes, can fly at an altitude over 3,000 metres above sea level in Arunachal Pradesh and can be used by the Army.”

When asked about the overall deployment numbers, he revealed, “We have sold nearly 150 drones to armed forces, paramilitary, and police.”

Moreover, explaining the company’s direct-to-unit sales strategy and cost positioning, he added, “We normally sell them directly to the unit because our prices are very competitive with respect to Chinese.”When asked whether their production aligned with the Make in India initiative, he said, “About 80% Zuppa drones are indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured in India (IDDM).”

The post From Chennai to the Frontlines, Zuppa Drones to Secure India’s Borders appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

Amid claims that Pakistan hacktivists have ‘successfully breached’ over 100 Indian government sites, educational institutions, and critical infrastructure, CloudSEK, a cybersecurity firm, debunked much of it to note that they were ‘fake’ and ‘exaggerated’ with ‘minimal actual impact.’ 

CloudSEK published a report detailing the analysis of these hacktivist campaigns. This follows India and Pakistan agreeing to a ceasefire following India’s retaliation to a terror strike in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir region. 

The report also added that the ‘alleged’ data leaks primarily contained public information, and website defacements left no digital footprints. “Supposed DDoS attacks against high-profile targets like the Prime Minister’s Office causing negligible disruption,” read a report section.

“Many hacktivist groups use tools with limited impact, often causing brief 5–10 minute outages and exaggerating them with screenshots. These tactics haven’t evolved in over two years. While monitoring is important, basic DDoS hygiene is usually enough to mitigate such low-level threats and minimise their visibility,” added the report. 

For instance, hacktivist entities like SYLHET GANG-SG and DieNet claimed the exfiltration of over 247 GB of data from India’s National Informatics Centre (NIC) servers. CloudSEK said that an analysis of the 1.5 GB sample released by these groups as ‘proof’ revealed that it contained only public information. 

Source: CloudSEK

CloudSEK added that Team Azrael’s May 8, 2025, claim of breaching the Election Commission of India and exposing over one million citizen records was merely an alarmist repackaging of data first leaked in 2023. In other words, this announcement did not reflect a new compromise of the ECI but a stunt to generate panic and publicity using old PII.

The report also outlined the analysis, which debunked the claims of many other hacktivist groups. 

It added that ‘the more sophisticated’ espionage group APT36 continues to pose a genuine threat. A few days ago, media reports revealed that APT36 used the Crimson RAT malware (which allows attackers to execute commands to retrieve sensitive information remotely) to exploit ‘human vulnerabilities’, and use other social engineering tactics to breach defence networks. 

One attack from APT 36 embedded malicious links into a PDF titled “Action Points & Response by Govt Regarding Pahalgam Terror Attack,” created on April 24, 2025 under the alias “Kalu Badshah.” When opened, the document directed victims to a spoofed domain jkpolice.gov.in.kashmirattack.exposed—which mimicked the official Jammu & Kashmir Police login page, tricking users into surrendering their credentials.

The post ‘Most of Pakistani Hacktivism on Indian Websites Fake’  appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

NxtGen Cloud Technologies has announced a strategic alliance with global cybersecurity leader Thales to bring defence-grade protection to India’s sovereign cloud. The collaboration aims to enhance national-level cloud security, combining sovereign infrastructure with Thales’ globally trusted cybersecurity technologies.

The partnership introduces a suite of advanced security capabilities to Indian enterprises, including comprehensive encryption, AI-powered threat detection, and sovereign key management, all within NxtGen’s Indian datacenters.

Thales’ solutions, widely used by defence and government agencies worldwide, will now secure NxtGen’s cloud platform, ensuring compliance and readiness for future threats, including quantum computing. “This partnership marks a pivotal moment in our mission to deliver cloud infrastructure that’s not only world-class in performance but uncompromising in security,” said A.S. Rajgopal, MD & CEO of NxtGen.

A key focus is Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), enabling enterprises to secure sensitive data from emerging quantum threats. The companies also guarantee full data sovereignty, with infrastructure and cryptographic keys remaining under Indian jurisdiction—free from foreign laws like the US CLOUD Act and FISA 702.

Industries governed by RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, MeitY, and Cert-In regulations will benefit from integrated compliance frameworks. Thales’ Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), zero-trust architectures, and key lifecycle management will support these trust zones.

NxtGen’s AI platform, SpeedCloud AI, will incorporate Thales’ advanced cryptographic and access controls, securing AI workloads with resilience and regulatory alignment. 

“Thales is proud to bring our globally trusted cybersecurity solutions to NxtGen’s sovereign cloud,” said Ashesh Thanawala, channel sales director – APJ, Thales. “Together, we aim to enable India’s enterprises and institutions to accelerate digital transformation securely—with confidence, compliance, and complete control.”

Recently, NxtGen unveiled the country’s first Financial Services Cloud (FSC). It is a purpose-built platform designed to meet the rigorous compliance, security, and data sovereignty demands of India’s Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector.

The post NxtGen Partners with Thales to Deliver Defence-Grade Security for India’s Sovereign Cloud appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

The Indian Army has been rapidly embracing AI and autonomous systems to enhance national security while minimising human risks in combat. As modern warfare evolves, the military is prioritising indigenous innovations, ensuring self-reliance in defence technology. 

This transformation aligns with India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, which seeks to reduce dependence on foreign military imports.  

India has been an early adopter of generative AI in defence. In 2018, the country established the Defence Artificial Intelligence Council (DAIC) to drive innovation. 

Despite its efficiency, AI in combat remains a challenge. While AI enhances operations, human decision-making remains superior in unpredictable battle scenarios. For now, AI’s role is focused on predictive maintenance and manned-unmanned operations. 

Meet Major Rajprasad  

Major Rajprasad RS, a service innovation officer in the Indian Army Corps of Engineers from the Army Design Bureau and the 7 Engineer Regiment, is at the centre of this change. He has developed groundbreaking innovations that could redefine battlefield tactics. 

He has demonstrated homegrown defence solutions by developing twelve cutting-edge military technologies, four of which have already been inducted into the Indian Army.

Speaking to AIM at the Aero India 2025 event in Yelahanka, Bengaluru, he described his innovations as fully operational battlefield solutions designed to increase combat effectiveness and reduce casualties.  

His latest innovations, Xploder and the Mobile Reactive Mine System (MRMS), were showcased to defence minister Rajnath Singh at the India Pavillion. 

These revolutionary systems have also gathered national attention, even drawing interest from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian Army chief general Upendra Dwivedi. Their induction into the Indian Army marks a significant shift in how India prepares for future conflicts.

Xploder: The AI-Powered Kamikaze  

One of Major Rajprasad’s most promising innovations is Xploder, an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) designed to enhance safety in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations. 

This six-wheeled, all-terrain vehicle is built for high-risk scenarios where human intervention can be fatal.  

Xploder is capable of reconnaissance, explosive payload delivery, and (improvised explosive device) IED disposal. It can be remotely controlled to enter dangerous areas, identify threats, and neutralise them without risking human lives. 

“In the aspect of room intervention in counter-terrorism operations, going inside each and every room and searching is difficult due to the risk of casualties because the militant can be anywhere, and it is a long-drawn process. So, this is used for reconnaissance in case a militant is found,” Major Rajprasad said.

Additionally, it can function as a kamikaze device programmed to detonate in enemy hideouts, making it a formidable weapon in urban warfare. The Indian Army is already considering mass procurement of Xploder, signifying its importance in modern military strategy.  

MRMS: A Walking Mine Hunting Its Target  

Traditional landmines are static and pressure-activated worldwide, which pose risks even to friendly forces. Moreover, they are used for defence purposes, mostly to harass, deny, and delay the enemy. 

Major Rajprasad’s MRMS introduces a radical departure from conventional mine warfare. This advanced mine system mimics the mobility of a spider, actively searching for its target instead of waiting for them to step on it. He calls it a “reactive mine”.

The MRMS can be deployed via unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones or ground vehicles, allowing it to be dropped directly into enemy zones. 

Once activated, it navigates towards enemy vehicles and detonates underneath them. This ability makes it a highly effective weapon for disabling armoured formations. 

“For example, if a tank (a column of a squadron of tanks) is coming, you can just send it across in the path of the tank, under the belly of the tank, and it can blast. This is going to create a big defensive aspect in the enemy’s area of response (AOR).”

With Economic Explosives Limited (EEL) partnering for its production, MRMS is set to become a crucial part of India’s defence arsenal.

Upcoming Innovations 

It doesn’t just stop here. Major Rajprasad is already working on new AI-driven combat systems to further modernise the Indian Army. 

One of his key projects is an AI-enabled mine detection system that aims to reduce the risks associated with traditional demining methods. He is also developing Agniastra, a multi-target portable remote detonation system capable of neutralising targets from five to ten kilometres away. These innovations indicate that India is not just catching up with global military technology but setting new benchmarks for autonomous combat systems.  

Moreover, the Indian Army also announced recently that it is set to retire 4,000 mules that have served in remote and mountainous regions and replace them with AI-powered robotic dogs. 

New Kids on the Block.

Jai Hind pic.twitter.com/PyNlzNmpDp

— Brigadier Hardeep Singh Sohi,Shaurya Chakra (R) (@Hardisohi) January 9, 2025

As displayed in the parade for 77th Army Day in Pune at the Southern Command Investiture Ceremony 2025, India is the second nation to feature this technology after China.

These robotic dogs are designed to replace mules in high-altitude warfare. These robotic quadrupeds can navigate challenging terrain while carrying payloads equipped with thermal cameras and 360-degree sensors. 

They can carry payloads of up to 12–15 kilograms and operate in extreme temperatures ranging from -40 to 55 degrees Celsius.

Globally, militaries in the US, China, and Russia are investing in robotic warfare, and India is following suit. The transition to robotic logistics reflects the growing importance of automation and AI in military operations.  

What’s Next? 

At the end of last year, the Indian Army collaborated with BEL to launch the Indian Army AI Incubation Centre (IAAIIC) in Bengaluru. Army chief Dwivedi virtually led the launch, underscoring the Army’s commitment to AI for operational excellence.

In just six months, systems like Vidyut Rakshak, Agniastra, and Xploder have moved from development to deployment, reinforcing India’s commitment to self-reliance. His previous development, the wireless electronic detonation system, has already been integrated, proving the Army’s commitment to rapidly absorbing indigenous solutions.

For the first time, the Transfer of Technology (ToT) has also been transferred to private defence manufacturers through the Army Design Bureau, fostering large-scale production and strengthening India’s defence ecosystem. 

Recognised by top leadership, this milestone reflects the Army’s dedication to technological evolution. As the ‘Year of Technology Absorption’ progresses, this seamless transition from innovation to induction is setting a new standard for India’s defence modernisation.

With the direction of displays this year, the coming years could see the mass deployment of smart, unmanned combat systems, from autonomous reconnaissance vehicles to AI-driven missile defence networks. By placing a strong emphasis on AI, automation, and indigenous production, the Indian Army is ensuring that it remains prepared for future conflicts.

The post Indian Army Embraces Smart Warfare with AI-Powered Combat Systems appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

India’s premier defence research organisation, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is making a powerful statement at Aero India 2025 with a showcase of indigenously developed cutting-edge technologies and systems. 

At the heart of the display is the full-scale model of India’s first 5.5 Gen stealth aircraft, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), which symbolises the country’s strides in advanced aviation technology. 

The India Pavilion, a testament to the Make-in-India initiative, brings together innovations from private industries, Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), and start-ups. It displays over 330 products across 14 technology zones.  

DRDO’s exhibit features state-of-the-art fighter aircraft models, advanced missile systems, and naval warfare technologies. The key highlights include the Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF), the LCA-Mk2, the Kaveri Derivative Aero Engine, and the Naval Anti-Ship Missile-Medium Range (NASM-MR). 

In addition to its exhibition, DRDO is hosting a seminar titled ‘DRDO Industry Synergy towards Viksit Bharat: Make in India – Make for World’ to promote self-reliance and boost defence exports. 

Inauguration by Defence Minister

Aero India 2025, Asia’s largest air show, commenced on February 10 at the Air Force Station in Yelahanka, Bengaluru. The show focuses on technological advancements in the aerospace and defence sectors. 

The biennial event, organised by the Defence Exhibition Organisation under the defence ministry, brought together global aerospace leaders, defence strategists, and government officials. 

This year’s event is being held under the theme ‘The Runway to a Billion Opportunities’, which underscores India’s ambitions in aerospace and defence innovation. 

It was inaugurated by defence minister Rajnath Singh, who highlighted India’s rapid advancements in defence technology, its growing industrial capabilities, and its vision for international collaboration. 

In his opening remarks, Singh emphasised that Aero India 2025 is not just a platform for showcasing technological innovation but also a bridge for strengthening global partnerships. 

“We often interact as buyers and sellers, where our relations are at a transactional level. However, at another level, we forge our partnership beyond the buyer-seller relationship to the level of industrial collaboration,” Singh added, stressing security and stability.

Speaking at the Inaugural Ceremony of #AeroIndia 2025 in Bengaluru. https://t.co/jJgSO5zu3a

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) February 10, 2025

He declared that 2025 will be the ‘Year of Reforms’ for the Indian defence, emphasising that reforms will not only be limited to the government level but will involve active participation from the armed forces, defence PSUs, and private industry.  

Moreover, Singh highlighted India’s growing role in global defence and urged long-term industrial collaborations beyond buyer-seller ties. He cited the Tata-Airbus C-295 aircraft project as a model for future cooperation. 

He highlighted India’s commitment to defence exports and indigenous production and noted the sector’s rapid growth. Notably, defence production is expected to exceed ₹1.60 lakh crore and exports ₹30,000 crore by 2025-26. With ₹6.81 lakh crore allocated in the Union Budget, India is emerging as a global hub for aerospace manufacturing.

AI in the Exhibitions

This year’s Aero India exhibition was packed with high-tech displays and live demonstrations, offering a glimpse into India’s evolving defence capabilities. The exhibition runs from February 10 to 14, with the first three days dedicated to business interactions and the final two days open to the general public. 

A key attraction at the air show is the MBC2 Swarm Drone System, an AI-powered drone swarming capability that represents India’s growing expertise in autonomous aerial combat. 

The event also features an AI-powered mission planning and debriefing system, which uses real-time data analytics to enhance combat strategy and operational effectiveness. 

Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has showcased quantum cryptography, 5G defence solutions, unmanned warfare technology, space situational awareness systems, and theatre command systems. 

Advanced communication technologies such as the Ku Band Exciter, direct RF signal processing, and Digital Light Engine (DLE) are also on display. AI-driven innovations include generative AI-powered virtual assistants, AI-based language translation tools, and speech analysis systems.  

The AI voice command system introduced at the event aims to improve operational efficiency and pilot decision-making by integrating advanced automation with aircraft controls. This initiative aligns with India’s push towards self-reliance in defence technology and innovation.  

India Aims for Self-Sufficiency

Aero India 2025 is setting the stage for India’s technological leap in defence and aerospace. The showcase focuses on India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision, which aims to reduce dependency on foreign technology while enhancing force multipliers for tri-service operations. 

The event also highlights India’s growing defence electronics and radar technology. A major focus is on Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor solutions, which are key to the development of next-generation radars and electronic warfare systems. 

Moreover, the D4 Radar Anti-Drone System, designed to counter emerging UAV threats, is generating significant interest among international defence buyers.  

The exhibition featured aerobatic displays by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and showcased cutting-edge technologies, including developments from Indian start-ups at the iDEX pavilion.  

In his inaugural speech, Singh cited the development of high-tech products such as the Astra missile, the New Generation Akash missile, and autonomous underwater vehicles as examples of India’s growing capabilities.  

पिछले Aero India से लेकर अब तक, यानि सिर्फ 2 सालों में, हमने अनेक उपलब्धियाँ हासिल की हैं। कई High Technology Products जैसे, Astra Missile, New Generation Akash Missile, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Unmanned Surface Vessel, Pinaka Guided Rocket, जैसे कई Equipment भारत में… pic.twitter.com/Q4Juz2l6Km

— Aero India (@AeroIndiashow) February 10, 2025

There has been a notable shift towards fully indigenous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), with manufacturers integrating advanced AI to enhance surveillance, efficiency, and navigation in challenging conditions. 

This movement aligns with the government’s initiative to eliminate Chinese components from defence equipment. For instance, Delhi-based startup Enord showcased its Inspector Lite defence variant, a surveillance drone entirely free of Chinese parts. 

This 4.8-kg carbon fibre UAV features ‘Ease Link’ for operations beyond visual line of sight, a ‘Surround Sense’ detect-and-avoid system, onboard AI processing, real-time crowd detection, and swarm communication capabilities. 

Similarly, drone firm IdeaForge unveiled the NETRA 5, its latest surveillance drone equipped with dual payload systems. It uses AI-powered analytics to track people and objects and has GNS-denied operations, which allow it to return home even if jammed.

Space-based Defence Applications

The event also underscores India’s growing strength in space-based defence applications. The Vikram 1 space launch vehicle signals progress in the private space sector, while the Garuda Mission’s Miniaturised Multi-Payload Satellite advances tactical reconnaissance. 

GalaxEye, a Bengaluru-based aerospace startup, showcased ‘Drishti Mission’, the world’s first multi-sensor SAR + MSI Earth observation satellite. The satellite delivers high-resolution all-weather imaging and is equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor and a multispectral imaging (MSI) sensor. 

Alongside them, Pixxel showcased its Firefly constellation, demonstrating hyperspectral imaging for defence, agriculture, and environmental monitoring. On January 15 this year, Pixxel also launched the first three satellites of this Firefly constellation aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12 mission. The constellation offers the world’s highest-resolution hyperspectral imaging.

Aero India 2025 reinforces India’s leadership in next-generation defence technology, fostering global collaboration and indigenous innovation. Other key events include the Defence Ministers’ Conclave, the CEOs Roundtable, and the India and iDEX Pavilions, which highlight India’s growing defence ecosystem. 

The event, which strongly focuses on AI, automation, and space-based defence, accelerates India’s path to technological self-reliance. As it progresses, defence experts and policymakers see India strengthening global partnerships and advancing its role in aerospace innovation for a secure future.

The post Aero India 2025 is All About Aatmanirbhar Bharat with DRDO’s Next-Gen Tech appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

The strength of its military is often an indicator of how powerful a country is. In some of the most developed countries, investment in this sector is the highest. A large part of this investment is utilised to research and develop modern technology such as AI in military applications. AI-equipped military systems are capable of handling volumes of data efficiently and have superior computing and decision-making capabilities.

That said, in the case of defence, the implications of every decision have to be weighed in very carefully. Artificial intelligence is still in the adolescent stage, and the practical applications of the technology are often brittle. More often than not, ethical implications of using AI in defence have been raised by policymakers and activists alike. 

Controversy around AI in defence

The chief concern of using AI in defence and weaponry is that it might not perform as desired, leading to catastrophic results. For example, it might miss its target or launch attacks that are not approved, lead to conflicts. 

Most countries test their weapons systems reliability before deploying them in the field. But AI weapon systems can be non-deterministic, non-linear, high-dimensional, probabilistic, and continuously learning. For testing a weapon system with such capabilities, traditional testing and validation techniques are insufficient. Furthermore, the race between the world’s superpowers to outpace each other has also made people uneasy as countries might not play by the norms and consider ethics while designing weapons systems, leading to disastrous implications on the battlefield.

Technical Challenges

As defence starts leaning towards technology, it becomes imperative that we evaluate the loopholes of AI-based defence technologies that bad actors might exploit. For example, adversaries might seek to misuse AI systems by messing with training data or figuring out ways to gain illegal access to training data by analysing the specifically tailored test inputs. 

Furthermore, the AI black box and the resulting lack of explainability would open it up for risk in its application in highly regulated or critical environments.

The opponent can craft an attack in a method similar to training machine learning. For example, instead of training the model on a designated dataset, it could be trained on errors to give false results every time it is used. In addition, several other operational risks arise from the reliability, fragility, and security of AI systems.

From humanitarian standpoint

UN chief António Guterres once said that “machines with the power and discretion to take lives without human involvement are politically unacceptable, morally repugnant and should be prohibited by international law”.

Another issue is that strategic risks with the possibility of AI increase the likelihood of war globally and further escalate ongoing conflicts. There can be no answer to this question until states reach such a stage of AI. 

Humanitarians have always advocated against the deployment of such technologies in the field. Despite extensive efforts to ban the technology in the United Nations, it is unlikely that a complete ban can be enforced. The best way forward is to define a set of broad guidelines for its deployment to secure the world.

To begin with, AI alone should never be allowed to make judgement calls in matters of arms. There should be human surveillance of its decisions before they are executed in the field. In addition to that, persons entrusted with deploying AI must have a thorough knowledge of this tech.

 Furthermore, it should be governable. Humans should have sufficient oversight and the ability to disengage a malfunctioning system immediately. 

“If you want to do strategy planning, then you’re gonna have a mashup of machine learning with, maybe, game theory and a few other elements,” said William Scherlis, director of the Information Innovation Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency of the United States.

The post The Ethical Challenges Of AI In Defence appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

The Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) operation against Hamas is called the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI) war.

“For the first time, artificial intelligence was a key component and power multiplier in fighting the enemy,” an IDF Intelligence Corps senior officer said. He said this is a first-of-its-kind campaign for the IDF.

In 2020, an Iranian nuclear scientist was killed using a satellite controlled weapon. For the first time, a machine gun was controlled remotely using advanced cameras and AI.

AI is expected to reshape warfare in the coming years.

What Israel did

The IDF reportedly established an advanced AI platform that centralised all data on terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip onto a system that enabled the analysis and extraction of intelligence.

“Soldiers in Unit 8200, an Intelligence Corps elite unit, pioneered algorithms and code that led to several new programmes called “Alchemist,” “Gospel” and “Depth of Wisdom,” which were developed and used during the fighting,” said a news report.

“Gospel” used AI to generate recommendations for troops in the research division of Military Intelligence. “For the first time, a multidisciplinary centre was created that produces hundreds of targets relevant to developments in the fighting, allowing the military to continue to fight as long as it needs to with more and more new targets,” a senior officer said.

IDF Unit 9900’s satellites were used to detect changes in terrain in real-time automatically. For instance, the troops detected 14 rocket launchers located next to a school.

AI in Indian military

India has been taking significant steps towards deploying AI-based innovation in its combat and surveillance projects.

In 2018, the government entrusted NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Defence to create a roadmap for the Research and Development of AI applications in the armed forces. The NITI Aayog published a white paper, titled National Strategy for AI, and the task force, Strategic Implementation of AI for National Security and Defence, submitted its recommendations.

In the Defence Ministry’s Year-End Review of 2018, the Indian Navy said it had divided the AI Use Cases into short, medium and long term goals for implementation. 

In 2019, the Ministry of Defence set up a high-level Defence AI Council (DAIC) to offer strategic direction to adopt AI in defence. DAIC guides partnership between government and the industry for deployment of such innovations.

AI in military systems worldwide

The global military expenditure was estimated at $1917 billion in 2019, a 3.6% spike compared to 2018, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report. 

Many countries have special departments or agencies that plan, initiate, and integrate AI capabilities into the existing equipment and develop new capabilities. The National Science and Technology Council in the US, the Strategic Council for AI Technologies in Japan, and the AI Council in the UK are a few examples. 

The US Department of Defence spent $7.4 billion on artificial intelligence, Big Data, and cloud in 2017. Its Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is financing the development of a robotic submarine system to be employed in applications such as detection of underwater mines and engagement in anti-submarine operations. 

The UK government is also undertaking similar projects as part of its Research & Development Roadmap of July 2020. According to a news report, UK’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is working closely with the Institute for Security Science and Technology at Imperial’s White City Campus to bring together government, academia, industry, and small & medium-sized enterprises to develop the next generation of solutions for security and defence problems.

Russia is also reportedly investing heavily in AI for detection and debunking misinformation in defence. China is also enhancing its defence capabilities by developing and deploying Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs), AI-enabled satellites, Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) and unmanned ground warfare platforms. 

In 2017, China’s State Council announced the three stages for developing AI 

• Establishing a competitive advantage in the field of AI
• Generating the development of new industries
• Augmenting and strengthening national security 

Additionally, its current five-year plan establishes the roadmap for R&D, investment and integration of AI with other technical areas. AI ranks 6th out of the 69 priority tasks for the Chinese government.

The post Military Applications Of AI Around The World appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

Technology is the central pillar of modern warfare. Paul Maxwell, Lt. Col. (Retd.) of the US army said the use of AI would improve capability and resilience, and the military cannot afford to ignore this: “Certainly our opponents will and we must be able to attack and defeat their AIs,” he said. In the light of the ever-changing geopolitical scenario, Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) – AI Centre of Excellence under Department of Defense (DoD), US has come out with an action plan to facilitate the integration of AI across departments, especially the Department of Defence (DoD) by 2025. 

Pentagon’s AI artillery 

The Pentagon is counting on AI as a major driver of defence modernisation. The US government has allocated the Pentagon around $841 million for building AI capabilities for 2021, of which more than one-third will go to the JAIC. The DoD has launched a program, called Tradewind, incorporating tech players, academia, and other stakeholders to develop new AI capabilities for the defence forces. Additionally, the Pentagon has started a $10 billion program to centralise data across departments over the cloud.

“Tradewind will provide a user-friendly framework for our private sector partners to work more efficiently with the DoD to scale and implement AI for the warfighter and consumers across the military. We want to learn from this initiative to improve the way DoD works with all types of private sector and academic partners, and inject the much-needed speed and agility necessary to scale artificial intelligence and transform the Department,” said William Roberts, JAIC Chief of Acquisition. 

The Tradewind portal will be available via AI.mil, the Department of Defense’s main artificial intelligence website. The first step of the project will be to develop online capabilities that communicate with small and non-traditional businesses, create rapid contract actions, and assist DoD offices with end-user integration through agile delivery. The Data Readiness for Artificial Intelligence Development (DRAID) will allow defence organisations to issue orders for data preparation work, which may include anything from data collection to data sorting and storage to modelling how workers can use AI to gain deeper insights.

What’s India upto

 While speaking at the e-symposium event organised by SAMDeS along with the FICCI, RKS Bhaduria, IAF Chief Marshal, expressed IAF’s interest towards integration of the AI concepts for future combat operations. In a recent news article, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) mentioned the utilisation of low latency communication provided by the 5G technology to power up AI and build UAV for the armed forces. The MoD has established iDEX – an ecosystem to promote defence and aerospace innovation and technology growth by bringing together innovators and entrepreneurs to provide technologically innovative solutions for the modernisation of the Indian military. Take a look at the recent winner for remote real-time in-flight health monitoring of aircrew:

Moreover, it has set up a Technology Development Fund (TDF) under the ‘Make in India’ program. The program is executed by DRDO to encourage industries participation in cutting edge technologies for defence applications. Feasibility studies are under way for various defence projects. DRDO is trying to develop SSPA (Solid State Power Amplifier) – a component of transmitter system, for AMDR 2D/3D radar for the Indian Navy. For Indian Air Force, DRDO is in the process of building a wireless aircraft flight data recorder and automatic weather station.

Wrapping up

India’s IITs, IISc, NITs, and IISERs are home to remarkable academics in computer science and engineering. To integrate AI capabilities in defence, a convergence between academia, industry, and policy is critical.

AI is a game of collaboration. Good datasets are crucial to building good AI models. But building models for the military is even trickier. The nature of data getting collected, the risk of mask surveillance in the name of counter insurgency, and an absence of a strong data protection bill make data collection problematic. So it’s important to have an airtight policy in place on the use of public data for building military AI capabilities. 

That said, the military could enlist private players and co-opt their AI/ML models to build defence capabilities. AI works best in collaboration, not in siloes. But when we use AI, we should have the guardrails – like anonymised and unbiased data –to ensure fairness.

The post US’s AI Playbook: How India Can Shore Up Its Defence Through Private Participation appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

The US Air Force, in a recent attempt, used artificial intelligence on a Lockheed U-2 spy plane in a training flight, for controlling its sensors and navigation systems. This is believed to be the first of such an attempt where artificial intelligence has been used in US’ military aircraft. Although the plane was steered by a human pilot with no weapons involved, experts in the defence sector believe this to be a watershed moment in defence as well as a subject of intense debate in arm control communities.

When asked about the attempt, Assistant Air Force Secretary Will Roper stated that such an endeavour of leveraging AI sagely in the US military system gives rise to a “new age of human-machine teaming and algorithmic competition.” As a matter of fact, he believes that failing to realise the full potential of artificial intelligence will lead to “ceding decision advantage to our adversaries.”

According to the sources, the AI system used for the spy plane was deliberately designed without a manual override to test its capability in the test environment. However, it was relegated to highly specific tasks and was separated from the plane’s flight controls. Because of the sensitive nature of the work, the Air Force kept the name of the pilot anonymous, sharing only his call sign — ‘Vudu.’

The pilot who carried out the test stated to the media that technically he was the pilot in command, and the role of artificial intelligence was relatively narrow. However, “for the task the AI was designed, it performed well,” the pilot stated.

The AI algorithm, on the other hand, was dubbed ARTUµ, an apparent Star Wars reference, was responsible for sensor employment and tactical navigation, according to the news released by the Air Force.

Further, it was explained that the AI system was trained to look for incoming missiles and missile launchers, as an initial test flight. Also, while directing the plane’s sensors, the AI was designed to have the last call.

This initiative aimed to bring the Air Force as well as the military sector closer to machines where robots will be responsible for technical tasks with direct control of humans. Roper stated that the human, in the end, will be in control of the life-or-death decisions like flight control and targeting.

ARTUµ was developed based on open-source software algorithms — µZero, which was developed by the AI research company DeepMind for strategic games like Chess and Go, and was adapted by the U-2 Federal Laboratory. ARTUµ was further made publicly available through a Google-developed Kubernetes, which enabled the AI system to work with the plane’s onboard computer systems.

Traditionally, the Lockheed U-2 spy plane hasn’t been developed for an AI-enabled flight, instead was built in the early 1950s for the CIA to use it in Cold War surveillance from staggeringly high altitudes of 60,000 or 70,000 feet. However, in the current scenario, the planes were procured by the Defense Department.

Considering the planes were known for its surveillance work, it has been well equipped with AI to analyse complex data. The programme — Project Maven by the Air Force, was created to rapidly analyse data from drone footage, but due to backlash from its employees, Google declined to renew the same. The tech giant later released a set of AI principles that forced it to disregard the company’s algorithms from being used in any weapons system.

With that being said, Eric Schmidt, who led Google until 2011, believes it’s tough for the US military to fully embrace autonomous weapons anytime soon. This is just because of the uncertainty AI faces while performing in the possible scenarios, “including those in which human life is at stake.” According to him, while humans killing civilians by mistake is a tragedy, AI doing the same is a disaster. 

As a matter of fact, nobody will take responsibility for such an uncertain system. However, this initiative was just to create a possibility for the military to work with AI.

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Considering data and intelligence has become the lifeline of the modern military, the world is on the cusp of rethinking the current battlefield technologies. This is what we are going to witness at the ongoing 11th edition of India’s biennial mega defence exhibition — DefExpo 2020 in Uttar Pradesh capital, Lucknow. 

This year, the number of participating companies, both domestic and foreign, has reached 1,000 as compared to 702 companies in the previous DefExpo held in Chennai in 2018. One of the biggest highlights of the event is the digital transformation theme for defence technologies along with AI and autonomous weapons, which were the centre of everyone’s attention.

Artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, ubiquitous sensors, are at the forefront of the military’s digital transformation. The objective of DefExpo is to culminate the most advanced technologies in the defence sector under one place, giving a myriad of opportunities for the government, private companies, and startups. 

During the inauguration speech at the 11th edition of DefExpo, PM Modi said that he had set a target of $5 billion worth of military exports in the coming five years and has invited global defence majors to establish manufacturing hubs across India. Modi further spoke on the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and said that the nation would develop at least 25 products related to AI in the defence field in the next five years. 

According to the PM, the nation with its strength in IT and software development stands poised to bolster the digital transformation trend and to work with world leaders in cutting edge military technologies. India has the fifth-largest defence budget in the world with 42.2 billion and contributes to 3.7% to the global military expenditure. Overall defence expenditure in India has increased from 6.4 billion in 2013-14 to 11.4 billion in 2018-19. At the same time, the govt has to spend 130 billion for fleet modernisation in the next 5-7 years across all armed services. 

The government is also focusing on establishing a long-term strategic partnership between the Indian private sector and global OEMs through a competitive process to acquire technology transfers and set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains. This also includes setting up of defence innovation hubs across the country to develop an ecosystem that will foster innovation and technology development in the aerospace and defence sector by engaging industries including MSMEs, startups, individual innovators, R&D institutes, and academia. 

AI-Based Defence Technology Deals With South Korea

A number of Memorandum of Undertaking (MoUs) are to be settled during the Expo, resulting in creating new business and technology collaborations. Def Minister Rajnath Singh said India and South Korea might be signing new deals during the DefExpo 2020, emphasising the importance of AI and its military applications. 

According to reports, Hanwha Defence, a major South Korean company, is planning to bag 2.5 billion in defence deals. Rajnath Singh also met with South Korea’s defence minister Jeong Kyeong-doo in New Delhi earlier. According to Singh, the defence corridors present an excellent opportunity for South Korean industries to establish their manufacturing units. Korea Defence Industry Association, Korea Aerospace Industries, and Hanwha are participating in the event. 

But, South Korean companies won’t be the only ones competing for attention from the Armed Forces. Multiple companies, which are a part of Fortune 500, such as Airbus, Dassault Aviation, Lockheed Martin, and Thale, are also displaying artificial intelligence-based drone and UAV solutions. These solutions can be utilised for crowd monitoring, object detection and tracking, and flagging alerts for military actions.

At DefExpo 2020, we can see AI applications in autonomous vehicles, including fighter aircraft, autonomous robots, drones, ground vehicles, advancing military cyber operations, and systems for landmine detection. According to the e-brochure, 492 applications have been received for an open challenge for startups and has around 350k visitors over three days. 

India Based Organisations Also Showcase Their AI Capabilities At DefExpo 

Many Indian organisations are also taking part in the DefExpo, showcasing domestically-developed AI prowess to keep the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the government of India’s thrust towards adopting and deploying AI technology into defence systems and processes. 

Bengaluru-based defence public sector company BEML also plans to introduce an artificial intelligence-based mobile for healthcare diagnosis at the DefExpo 2020. A senior official told the media that the company would launch the innovative system in sync with the DefExpo’s theme — ‘Digital Transformation’, where AI-based system will be addressing the medical needs of the armed forces and armoured crew in protected vehicles like a Medium Bullet Proof Vehicle (MBPV). Apart from this, BEML has also manufactured truck-mounted excavators, high-capacity engines for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), autonomous ground vehicles (tracked and wheeled), mounted gun systems in association with the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), and infrared signature suppression systems for the Navy.

The Goa Shipyard (GSL), another defence public sector organisation, is also undergoing a modernisation of its yard to implement cutting edge technologies in shipbuilding. The company has now developed two artificial intelligence projects which the company is planning to showcase at the DefExpo 2020. The high-level cognitive process used in its shipbuilding products are Condition Monitoring System (CMS) for shipboard equipment that has been developed in partnership with Infosys; and Face Recognition and Geo-Fencing Security System that were developed in collaboration VLPL, Vizag. 

According to GSL, the above developed AI solutions can be deployed in Indian defence and coastal police services for advanced AI-powered condition monitoring of shipboard equipment, security, and predictive surveillance. The company said that CMS solution would reduce unplanned downtime of ship engines and will assist in making critical decision making.

Another company from India L&T will showcase its innovative digital solutions for defence leveraging technologies like IIoT, I4.0, AI/ML & AR/VR that according to L&T play a crucial role in modern national security and next-generation warfare. L&T also stated that its technologies would enable defence forces with real-time monitoring and simulation to improve asset availability and performance, which in turn will minimise operating costs and extend the lifespan of critical assets. 

Also Read: AI IN DEFENCE: HOW INDIA COMPARES TO US, CHINA, RUSSIA & SOUTH KOREA

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Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, a leading Israel-based defense technology company has unveiled its new  Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) capability for its SPICE-250, a GPS-guided air-droppable unguided bombs.

Based on autonomous electro-optic Scene-Matching Algorithms, the missiles are capable of moving-Target-Detection using AI and deep learning algorithms.  

Belonging to the family of autonomous air-to-ground weapon system with high pin-point accuracy, the technology will help SPICE-250 to further improve its target identification before the strike and is operational in GPS-denied conditions. This feature is made possible its scene-matching algorithms, which uploads the terrain data on to the device and by combining it with real-time electro-optic imagery, notes a leading defense portal. Further, the deep-learning will equip the missile with target identification and the ability to distinguish terrain and objects based on the 3D models and algorithms.

“The deep-learning algorithm is indifferent to the actual data fed to it for modelling targets of interest and embedding their pertaining characteristics into the system. However, the more the data used for modelling is representative of the target of interest, the more robust the recognition probability will be in real life,” Gideon Weiss, Rafael’s deputy general manager of marketing and business development said.

SPICE- 250, which weighs up to 75 kg, can be deployed under the wings of warplanes to target objects at a stand-off range of 100 km. Thus, when the pilot identifies the target and allocates weapon, it uses the ATR mode for detection and recognition of the targets.

“Each weapon homes-in on the predefined target, either autonomously or with a human-in-the-loop, aided by the ATR algorithm,” the company said in a press release.

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In a move that clearly showcases that the Central Government wants the country to focus on emerging technologies, it is now mandatory for defence public sectors units (DPSU) to initiate projects in artificial intelligence.

Gowthama MV, the chairman and managing director of  Bharat Electronics Limited a DPSU, told a national daily, “The Ministry of Defence has made it clear that this year onwards all DPSUs must focus on tapping potential business in the area of AI. Every year, we sign a memorandum of understanding with the Government of India on performance targets. Now, as part of this MoU, we have taken up the challenge to bring out AI-enabled products in the current financial year.” He added that BEL would be investing around ₹40-50 crore per annum on AI-related projects over the next three years.

In fact, BEL and the Central Research Laboratory (CRL) are already working on a “first responder robot” to secure Indian borders. Gowthama had said that their scientists, who have been working on the project since December 2018, have now started putting together preliminary requirements for design and implementation for the same. He also added that they have already conducted training programmes to build competency in AI.

Currently, BEL is working on five major projects involving AI:

1. Facial recognition for security applications
2. IoT-based platform maintenance
3. Social networking analysis
4. Robotics surveillance platform
5. Automated information extraction and synthesis

Gowthama told the leading newspaper, “Currently, we do not have any orders for AI. It is with our own internal investment that we are developing AI-enabled products, which shall undergo internal evaluation by December this year and later demonstrated to the users for feedback. Some of the systems like facial recognition may not require much infrastructure investment. However, IOT based systems need networkable hardware.”

In June 2018, the Ministry of Defence had initiated the process of preparing Indian defence forces in their use of AI and how these capabilities could be developed in the country. To study the whole gamut of issues surrounding strategic implications of AI in national security perspective, in the global context, a multi-stakeholder Task Force represented by members from the Government, Services, Academia, Industry Professionals and startups was constituted in February 2018, under the Chairmanship of N Chandrasekaran, the Chairman at Tata Sons.

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Students from IIT Madras have developed a technology that uses artificial intelligence to identify stone pelters in Jammu and Kashmir for the security personals of the Indian Army.

By using footages from the CCTV cameras, action recognition algorithms, live imaging and crowd density map, the device will be able to predict any unusual event, including the occurrence of stone pelting.

“We think it could help the Indian Army that faces such attacks regularly in J&K,” S Raghav Vaidyanathan, student executive head, Centre for Innovation, IIT-Madras told a leading national daily. In order to ascertain its effectiveness and to know more about its on ground deployment, a team of army officers will reportedly be visiting IIT-M’s Centre for Innovation soon.

The number of stone pelting cases have been on the rise in J&K, killing as many as three army men and a tourist in 2018 alone. An act of criminal assault, it has been increasingly taken up by Kashmiri youths to distract army men on duty in order to help local militants escape.

The device was developed by the students as part of Army Technology Seminar- 2019, where they took part in the crowd analysis project recently. The event which was held on January 11 in Delhi, brought together military, academia and industry experts under one roof to find technological solutions for the army requirements.

“The academic and industry keep coming up with innovations. Some of these have already been adopted and others are being considered or tested. Out of the 130 problem statements identified by us, we have received responses to about 100,” said an official.

While speaking about the usefulness of AI-based prediction tools in localities which face regular stand-offs between the army and pelters, former army vice-chief Lieutenant General AS Lamba said, “Such innovations could lead to a good solution in the long term.”

Recently, the army has been vocal about its plan to deploy new age technologies like artificial intelligence and drone technologies for scaling up their operation. On 2 January, the Ministry of Defence had announced a  ₹73.9 crore project undertaken by the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR) to study the implications of AI in National security and defence needs.

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