US-origin counter-drone technology is entering India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem as the Indian military accelerates efforts to acquire systems capable of physically intercepting hostile drones.
India’s Paras Defence & Space Technologies has secured exclusive rights from US-based Powerus to manufacture and commercialise its Guardian interceptor technology in India. The agreement was signed with Powerus subsidiary Tandem Defense LLC and gives Paras an exclusive licence to use the technology for manufacturing and sales in the Indian market.
However, the agreement does not mean the Guardian system has been selected by the Indian military. Any potential induction would still require evaluation and procurement through India’s defence acquisition process.
The deal comes as the Indian Army expands its search for kinetic counter-drone weapons, systems designed to physically destroy or capture hostile unmanned aircraft rather than relying solely on electronic jamming.
In February, India’s Ministry of Defence issued a request for information for up to 45 Drone Interception Systems and 50 Drone Catcher Systems for the Army. The equipment is intended for deployment across plains, deserts and high-altitude areas and must be capable of countering difficult-to-detect drones.
The push has gathered further momentum following lessons from Operation Sindoor, with India’s armed forces increasingly looking at layered counter-drone defences combining detection, electronic warfare and physical interception.
On August 12, the Army also published a tender seeking the development of an AI-enabled high-speed interceptor UAV for counter-drone operations. The tender is scheduled to close on September 2.
The Indian Air Force is pursuing similar capabilities. An RFI issued earlier this year sought indigenous systems capable of detecting, tracking and neutralising hostile drones, including small autonomous interceptors designed to track and attack targets after launch with minimal operator involvement.
Powerus markets its Guardian interceptor family as high-speed, relatively low-cost systems intended to counter unmanned aerial threats at scale.
The manufacturing agreement nevertheless highlights an important distinction in India’s drive for defence self-reliance. While production and commercialisation would take place through an Indian defence company, the underlying Guardian technology is foreign-origin rather than an indigenous Indian development.
Even so, local manufacturing could give Indian industry a greater role in production, integration and long-term support as the country builds a broader counter-drone arsenal against increasingly sophisticated unmanned threats.
