US-based defence technology firm Shield AI has opened a new engineering office in Bangalore, marking a significant expansion of its presence in India, Analytics India Mag reported.

The facility will focus on developing and testing autonomy software for Indian aircraft and other defence platforms, reinforcing the country's growing emphasis on advanced military technologies.

Dr Manjula N., IAS, Karnataka's IT-Secretary, welcomed the move, stating, "Shield’s Bangalore engineering centre is a welcome addition to Karnataka’s growing ecosystem of global technology and R&D centres. The focus on autonomy software, simulation and advanced engineering will create opportunities for specialised talent and strengthen the state’s capabilities in emerging technologies."

Situated at GoodWorks GCC Nexus in Bangalore, the centre will concentrate on Hivemind, Shield AI’s software platform designed to develop, deploy and operate autonomous systems. The new facility becomes the company’s second office in India, following the launch of its New Delhi office in April 2026.

The company plans to recruit engineers with expertise in autonomy, flight software, simulation, systems integration, and testing and evaluation. Teams in Bangalore will work closely with colleagues in New Delhi, where Shield AI manages engagement with the Ministry of Defence, the Indian armed forces, and local industry partners.

Explaining the strategic rationale behind the expansion, Sarjan Shah, Managing Director for India at Shield AI, said, "New Delhi brought us closer to our customers. Bangalore gives us the engineering team to build for them."

He further emphasised the importance of indigenous software capabilities, adding, "Self-reliance in defence depends on the software layer. We are hiring here to build, test, and improve mission autonomy for Indian platforms, so that India's armed forces can own this capability for the long term."

The Bangalore expansion builds upon Shield AI’s growing footprint in India. In November 2024, the company entered into a partnership with JSW Defence to indigenise and manufacture its V-BAT unmanned aircraft system in the country.

As part of that initiative, JSW Group committed $90 million towards establishing a V-BAT production facility, technology licensing arrangements, and workforce training programmes. Construction of the facility began in December 2025 at EMC Maheshwaram in Hyderabad.

Further strengthening its position in the Indian market, Shield AI announced in January 2026 that the Indian Army had selected the company to supply V-BAT aircraft along with licences for its Hivemind autonomy software.

Hivemind Enterprise combines a software development environment with onboard autonomy capabilities. The platform supports route planning, mission management and aircraft-to-aircraft communications, while allowing developers to integrate their own artificial intelligence models, sensors and mission-specific functions.

According to the company, the platform enables autonomous systems to progress seamlessly from simulation environments to real-world flight operations. Hivemind has already been tested across more than 40 platforms, including F-16 fighter aircraft, jet-powered uncrewed aircraft, helicopters, uncrewed surface vessels, ground vehicles and even a satellite operating in low Earth orbit.

The announcement comes amid India’s broader push for self-reliance in defence technology and military modernisation. In October 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled the Indian Army’s Land Warfare Doctrine 2026, highlighting the need for accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and next-generation military technologies as part of the country’s evolving defence strategy.

Agencies