Special Report: India's IG Defence advances UAV manufacturing capabilities

IG Defence FPV Striker UAV can carry a payload of up to 500 g and has an endurance of more than 45 minutes. (IG Defence)

In February, Indian defence technology firm IG Defence announced plans to establish a INR3 billion (USD33 million) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) facility in Ganjam district, Odisha.

IG Defence, which designs and develops unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), counter-UASs (C-UASs), and simulation and training solutions, said the proposed facility would support the manufacture of tactical and mission-specific UAVs.

The company's portfolio includes strike-capable unmanned platforms; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems; logistic UAV swarms; and training simulators.

Major General R C Padhi (retd), senior vice-president at IG Defence, told Janes in February that the proposed facility in Odisha, along with a new facility in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, would enhance IG Defence's manufacturing capabilities.

IG Defence commissioned another facility in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, in December 2025 to scale its capabilities “on a war footing”, with construction of the facility and manufacturing of UAVs taking place simultaneously, Padhi said.

“During Operation ‘Sindoor' [in May 2025 against Pakistan] we had a very limited capability,” Padhi said. “But we scaled up… We have increased substantially our manufacturing capability. It will be enhanced once our other two plants come up at Jhansi and in Odisha.”

Padhi said the new facilities, which are scheduled to be commissioned by 2028, would address the company's current manufacturing capability gaps.

While the Noida facility is operational, the proposed Jhansi facility has received approval from concerned authorities, IG Defence said.

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