Open-source illustrative photo      

The Indian Army in Jan 2026, had taken a decisive step in advancing its surveillance capabilities by placing a ₹168 crore order with Bangalore-based start-up NewSpace Research & Technologies for its Medium Altitude Persistent Surveillance System (MAPSS), a fully electric, solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle.

This marks the first deployment of solar-powered surveillance UAVs by the armed forces, moving beyond battery-powered and tethered drones currently in use.

The contract originates from the Defence Ministry’s Innovations for Defence Excellence programme, highlighting the growing role of Indian start-ups in meeting next-generation operational needs through indigenous research and development.

Founded by Indian Air Force veteran Sameer Joshi along with Julius Amrit and Dilip Chabria, NewSpace Research & Technologies has steadily built credibility with a series of contracts and successful demonstrations.

Joshi emphasised that the order validates years of focused research and development at the company, which has consistently delivered cutting-edge capabilities comparable to global standards.

The MAPSS represents an evolution from the company’s ongoing solar-powered High Altitude Pseudo Satellite program, which has already achieved national endurance records, including flights exceeding twenty-seven hours at altitudes over twenty-six thousand feet and another lasting more than twenty-four hours in challenging conditions.

These trials at the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga demonstrated reliable solar energy harvesting even on low-sunlight days.

Sources within the defence establishment confirmed that MAPSS has been adapted for medium-altitude missions after operational demonstrations in high-altitude areas with the Army.

The drone is designed to provide long-endurance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, electronic intelligence, and communications relay support. Its quiet electric propulsion and low thermal signatures minimise detection risks, while its vantage point covers terrains ranging from the Himalayas to the deserts of Rajasthan.

The UAV features lightweight construction, solar recharging for extended endurance, and modular payloads with advanced mission autonomy, enabling operations in GNSS-denied zones. This persistence reduces logistical demands in remote areas, allowing continuous overwatch for border patrols, artillery spotting, and communication extension in denied environments.

The MAPSS will complement existing medium-altitude long-endurance platforms, providing networked ISR at forward-level formations.

The procurement is a major success for the iDEX initiative, launched in 2018 to bridge innovators with the armed forces. NewSpace Research & Technologies has previously secured contracts for swarm drones, tethered surveillance systems, and high-altitude platforms.

In 2023, the company delivered one hundred heterogeneous swarm drones to the Army under fast-track procurement, making India one of the first nations to operationalise high-density swarms. More recently, it has delivered tethered drone solutions and is developing advanced platforms such as the Abhimanyu collaborative combat aircraft for the Navy.

With over two hundred start-ups incubated and procurement orders worth thousands of crores placed for indigenous solutions, iDEX has successfully transitioned designs and prototypes into fielded systems. 

The MAPSS represents the first sovereign hardware delivery via iDEX’s UAV development vector, while NewSpace Research & Technologies’ journey from swarm contracts to advanced pseudo-satellite platforms exemplifies the ecosystem’s maturity.

Most importantly, the Indian Army has already begun operating the MAPSS drone, integrating it into its surveillance and reconnaissance missions. This operational deployment underscores the rapid transition from prototype to fielded system and demonstrates the Army’s confidence in indigenous solar-powered UAV technology.

The MAPSS is now actively contributing to persistent surveillance across India’s vast and diverse borders, providing a sustainable and strategic edge in modern warfare.

Agencies