Larsen & Toubro has unveiled TEJASTRA, India’s directed energy systems roadmap, which represents a structured pathway towards the development of advanced laser-based defence technologies. The initiative is anchored in the vision of “The Path to Precision.

The Power to Protect,” and outlines the technological pillars that will define India’s progress in this domain. These pillars include the laser source, beam combining, beam control, and mission capability. 

Each of these elements is designed to ensure that the systems are high power, fibre-based, and scalable, enabling deployment across diverse operational environments.

The roadmap begins with Phase-1, which covers the development of 10 to 20 kilowatt class systems. These represent the initial operational capability, providing India with tactical directed energy weapons suitable for counter-drone and short-range air defence roles.

The emphasis in this phase is on building reliable laser sources, integrating them into modular arrays, and validating their performance in field conditions. This stage also focuses on establishing the industrial ecosystem required to sustain production and maintenance, involving both large defence firms and smaller suppliers.

Phase-2, scheduled for 2028, marks the transition to tactical systems in the 50 to 100 kilowatt class. These systems are expected to deliver significantly enhanced lethality, capable of neutralising larger aerial threats such as cruise missiles and potentially providing shipborne air defence.

The roadmap highlights the importance of beam combining technologies in this phase, ensuring that multiple laser sources can be synchronised to deliver concentrated energy on target.

The integration of advanced beam control mechanisms, including gimbals and turret domes, will allow precise tracking and engagement of fast-moving threats. This phase is also expected to demonstrate India’s ability to field deployable systems with higher endurance and mission flexibility.

Phase-3, extending beyond 2028, envisions the development of systems exceeding 100 kilowatts. These represent strategic-class directed energy weapons, capable of engaging high-value targets and potentially forming part of India’s layered air and missile defence architecture.

The roadmap emphasises mission capability in this phase, with deployment in littoral zones and integration into broader defence networks. Such systems would provide India with a cost-effective, speed-of-light engagement option, reducing reliance on kinetic interceptors and offering repeatable use without the logistical burden of ammunition resupply.

The TEJASTRA roadmap also underscores the importance of strategic partnerships, technology capability development, and process innovation. By focusing on beam focusing, energy balance, and security, the program aims to create a sustainable pathway for indigenous directed energy weapons. 

The timeline reflects a steady progression from laboratory prototypes to tactical and strategic systems, aligning with global trends where countries such as the United States, China, and Russia are investing heavily in similar technologies. India’s roadmap positions it to achieve technological parity in this critical domain while reinforcing its Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.

The initiative is supported by L&T’s expertise in precision engineering and advanced defence systems, with the TM-3 collaboration further strengthening the industrial base.

The roadmap is not only a technological plan but also a strategic statement of intent, signalling India’s determination to field indigenous directed energy weapons that can protect its forces and assets in increasingly complex threat environments.

By 2030 and beyond, India aims to have operational systems exceeding 100 kilowatts, placing it among the leading nations in directed energy weapon technology.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)