States » SouthPosted at: Nov 2 2026 8:59PM


India can neutralise Rs 50,000 drones for Rs 50 using laser weapons'

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Bengaluru, Nov 2 (UNI) India has developed high-powered laser-based weapons capable of neutralising hostile drones at a claimed cost of just Rs 50, against drones costing around Rs 50,000, highlighting a major shift towards cost-effective air defence amid the growing threat of low-cost unmanned aerial systems, LRDE Director M Sheikh Althaf said on Monday.
Addressing a press interaction here, Althaf said India could not afford to rely on expensive missiles to destroy inexpensive drones, particularly in prolonged warfare where sustaining ammunition stocks and maintaining operational readiness were critical.
"India should not afford to because we have to sustain the extended period of warfare," he said, explaining that the country had developed Directed Energy Weapon (DEW)-based counter-drone systems to address the economic imbalance.
Describing the technology, Althaf said India had developed high-powered laser systems with capacities of 2 kilowatts, 10 kilowatts and 30 kilowatts. These systems track hostile drones and direct concentrated laser beams at them to destroy the targets.
The laser weapons can destroy a drone within seven to eight seconds, depending on the material used in its construction, he said.
"Instead of 50,000 drone, we can nullify in 50 rupees. That is the achievements we have done it further, and we are going to do it further with high power," Althaf said.
He said India had anticipated the potential misuse of drones and initiated the development of anti-drone systems around 2020. The systems were designed, developed, tested and deployed along the borders within 24 months.
He said India was now receiving export orders for its counter-drone technologies, with several industries, apart from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), receiving technology transfer support to manufacture such systems.
On India's ability to detect smaller aerial threats, the LRDE Director said indigenous radar systems were capable of detecting and tracking even nano-drones.
"Yes, we are capable of detecting and tracking nano drones. We have radars to do that," he said.
DRDO DG DG (ECS) BK Das said the next generation of radars being developed by LRDE would incorporate lessons from Operation Sindoor, with particular emphasis on improving detection accuracy, frequency agility and resilience against electronic interference.
One of the significant lessons from Operation Sindoor was the need for radar systems to function effectively in congested electromagnetic environments, where multiple radars, communication systems and electronic jammers operate simultaneously, he said.
"One important lesson we learned during Op Sindoor is our systems have to work in a congested environment," Das said.
He stressed the need for more resilient and agile radars capable of switching frequencies to relatively interference-free bands, ensuring accurate detection and tracking even under jamming conditions.
He also identified the need for larger radar power apertures and improved elevation agility to detect increasingly smaller drones and targets approaching at higher altitudes. Advanced micro-Doppler technology and improved algorithms would further strengthen detection capabilities, he added.
Referring to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Das said developments in recent wars offered important lessons for India's defence preparedness.
"We are very thankful to Russia, Ukraine, that every day we are learning how much we have to be prepared to be strong against our enemies," he said.
On stealth technology, Das said advances in material science had made modern aircraft increasingly difficult to detect using conventional radar systems. However, he claimed Indian radar engineers had developed systems capable of tracking stealth platforms, without disclosing further technical details.
Highlighting India's growing indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities, Das said DRDO was encouraging a distributed production ecosystem involving BEL and several private industries.
Major programmes, including Dharashakti and Himshakti, involved networks of around 20 to 30 industries manufacturing different components, including transmit-receive modules, receivers, processors and power supplies, he said.
He described BEL as an important partner in the manufacturing ecosystem and said DRDO was transferring technologies to multiple industries to expand domestic production capabilities.
Das said startups should concentrate on developing disruptive technologies rather than directly entering large-scale production, which could be undertaken by established manufacturing companies.
On the wider applications of radar technology, he said it was not restricted to aerospace and defence, citing weather radars that track cyclones and help authorities forecast their movement and prepare for evacuations. Medical applications were also being explored, he added.
However, officials did not disclose the detection range of the anti-drone radars, their effectiveness against coordinated drone swarms or the proportion of India's military radar requirements currently met through indigenous systems. Nor did they provide a breakdown of dependence on imported radar components.
Das was interacting with the media on the sidelines of preparations for IEEE RadarConf 2027, which is being hosted in India for the first time in its 47-year history. The conference programme will include technical sessions, tutorials, workshops and initiatives aimed at encouraging students and research scholars to pursue radar technology, officials said.
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