Episode 132: India’s Quest for Drones

In 2021, India struck a deal to procure 30 armed drones from the United States for a cost of nearly US$3 billion (S$4 billion). While this is just the latest development in the Indian military’s use of drones over the past two decades, it is in line with a broader trend of drones' expanding use on the battlefield as well as in civilian spheres across the globe. In this vein, Nishant Rajeev, Research Analyst, ISAS, spoke to Dr Yogesh Joshi, Research Fellow, ISAS, to understand India’s quest to acquire, adopt, and deploy drones and its efforts to build a larger drone ecosystem.