The Indian Air Force (IAF) has taken a significant step towards shaping India’s future unmanned warfare capabilities by directly outlining its drone requirements to industry. Around 100 drone manufacturers, MSMEs and Start-Ups attended an outreach programme at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 21 October, where the service shared its Unmanned and Autonomous Systems Roadmap and explained its long-term operational priorities.

The roadmap was first unveiled during the IAF Dronathon 2026 held in Pokhran and defines future requirements across 16 platform families grouped into four tiers: Strategic, Operational, Tactical, and Distributed/Attritable.

In practical terms, the IAF is seeking a broad spectrum of unmanned platforms, ranging from large, long-endurance drones capable of deep surveillance and high-value missions to low-cost attritable systems that can be deployed in large numbers and, if necessary, sacrificed during operations.

A major emphasis has been placed on autonomy, manned-unmanned teaming and swarm operations, reflecting a shift in how future air campaigns are expected to be conducted. The IAF believes unmanned and autonomous systems will increasingly become central to mission planning and execution, operating alongside crewed aircraft rather than replacing them.

The event brought together senior IAF and Ministry of Defence officials, industry executives, researchers and academic institutions, giving participants direct access to decision-makers and a clearer understanding of the Air Force’s future capability requirements.

By publishing and formally disseminating its requirements, the IAF is attempting to solve a long-standing challenge within India’s drone ecosystem. Many Start-Ups have traditionally developed products first and only later searched for customers. The roadmap reverses that process by providing industry with a defined set of operational needs around which research, development and investment can be focused.

Air Marshal Premkumar Krishnaswamy, Director General (Weapon Systems), underlined this intent, stating: “The IAF has been at the forefront of unmanned systems in India, and we intend to remain there as air power moves toward autonomy and swarm operations. By stating our requirements plainly, we want to enable focused development and the timely induction of critical technologies.”

Air Vice Marshal Ashish Kumar, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations - Remote), added: “Unmanned and autonomous systems are becoming central to how air operations are planned and conducted. When industry understands operational needs early, it can build systems that are relevant, reliable, and ready for the demands of the future.”

Among all technology areas, indigenous propulsion systems remain the most pressing requirement. The majority of Indian unmanned platforms continue to depend on imported engines, making propulsion a critical vulnerability.

Consequently, the IAF has identified domestic engine development as a top priority, alongside advanced autonomous software, resilient navigation technologies and standardised interfaces.

The roadmap also supports the broader national objective of strengthening indigenous defence manufacturing and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers. Industry leaders attending the event said the initiative provides the long-term visibility needed for companies, Start-Ups and research institutions to invest with greater confidence in technologies that align with future military demand.

Although the roadmap does not constitute a procurement commitment and does not specify production orders or induction timelines, it provides the clearest indication yet of where India’s military aviation requirements are headed. Its success will ultimately depend on whether Indian industry can translate these priorities into scalable, operationally relevant and combat-ready systems that can be integrated effectively into the IAF’s evolving force structure.

Agencies