Indian company Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has partnered with US-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) to produce medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drones in India. The collaboration aims to support the Indian armed forces’ plan to acquire 87 such drones for enhanced surveillance and strike capabilities.
Under the strategic partnership, L&T will act as the prime bidder in the Ministry of Defence’s MALE RPAS programme, while GA-ASI will provide the technology for the drones. The drones are based on GA-ASI’s MQ-series, which have already seen extensive operational use worldwide, logging millions of flight hours in surveillance and combat missions.
Boost to Make in India initiative
The alliance is seen as a major step toward building a self-reliant defence ecosystem in India. It strengthens Indo-US defence cooperation and is expected to boost India’s aerospace manufacturing capabilities on a global scale.
S N Subrahmanyan, Chairman and Managing Director of L&T, said the partnership offers India a chance to manufacture advanced unmanned platforms domestically.
"This partnership offers India a unique opportunity to manufacture state-of-the-art unmanned platforms indigenously. We are proud to join hands with GA-ASI, a recognised world leader in this domain, and are confident that this alliance will significantly enhance India's defence capabilities and advance self-reliance in aerospace technologies," he said.
General Atomics hails cooperation
Dr Vivek Lall, Chief Executive of General Atomics Global Corporation, said the partnership reflects GA-ASI’s commitment to India’s vision of indigenous defence manufacturing.
"We are honored to serve the Indian market in partnership with Larsen & Toubro, a trusted and capable leader in India's defence sector. This collaboration exemplifies our commitment to supporting India's vision for self-reliance and indigenous manufacturing in aerospace. By combining GA-ASI's proven technology with L&T's robust manufacturing expertise, we aim to deliver cutting-edge MALE RPAS solutions that will enhance the operational readiness of the Indian armed forces and contribute to a strong, sustainable defence ecosystem in India," he said.
