In September 2024, the Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) released a Monograph on Military-Civil Technology Fusion (MCTF) for making India Atmanirbhar Global Drone Hub by 2030. Authored by Gp Capt (Dr.) RK Narang, the Monograph, takes a close look at the policy framework in India. As per him, The main barrier to achieving the desired growth trajectory is the absence of a focused approach through a nodal ministry specifically for drone technology besides establishing Research and Development (R&D) structures. This absence has caused a continuous dependence on imports of critical components by Indian manufacturers. To truly become a global leader, this dependence has to be reduced, and a roadmap evolved to prepare for future requirements such as Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) & Urban Air Mobility (UAM).
The release of the Monograph has also coincided with a series of events starting with Drone Shivir (DFI+ADB), Drone Expo 2024, Def Connect 4.0 (Department of Defence Production) & Bharat Drone Varta (FICCI) events.
Let us try to derive some critical takeaways from the industry perspective.
These issues have been discussed in various academic and Industry circles for over a decade. I, too, started addressing similar issues during my Tenure as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Air Powers Studies from 2015 onwards. I am thankful for the mention of Gp Capt Narang in the Monograph, too. In fact, one of the first peer-reviewed articles that was published was titled- The “Charkha Legacy”: Challenges for Swadeshi Revolution in Defence Sector on December 7, 2015. Subsequently, a few pertinent regulatory issues were flagged in another article titled “Regulating the Unmanned”(April 9, 2016) & “Drone Revolution: Regulation & Management” (December 6, 2017). I have also been a serious proponent of one of the most efficient platforms –“the conventional helicopter configuration” and had expressed it through an article titled Rotary Unmanned Aerial Vehicles as a Military Platform, published in the Defence and Diplomacy Journal Vol.8 No.1 in 2018.
Subsequently, I was also fortunate to have been associated with the rollout of the Defence Testing Infrastructure (DTIS) project of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) as a part of Defence Corridor Tamil Nadu. I also had a chance to contribute to a draft Design Linked Incentive (DLI) document titled “The Abhikalpa-Abhinav Project” in respect of the emerging Drone ecosystem that was presented to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) in April 2024.
Of the events mentioned earlier, I was part of three of them. For the Drone Expo 2024, I was invited to participate in a panel discussion and delivered a Masterclass on Safety aspects related to Drone Operations.
The core element of all discussions is centred around solving the indigenisation challenges and problem statements as so astutely articulated by Gp Capt Narang in the Monograph.
The need to balance defence requirements, national security aspects, and supply chain elements is a complex puzzle, given the apparent need for significant policy reforms at the regulator level.
However, the nature of the policy reforms is where due deliberation and extreme Diligence are called for. I choose the word Diligence, as the overlap between the Civilian and Military Sectors is increasing, resulting in newer challenges, especially in communication and Cybersecurity elements.
During the Drone Varta event, FICCI also released a Discussion Paper titled “Making India a Drone Hub of the World”, which intended to take a relook at the projected Figures presented in an earlier FICCI-EY report in 2022. It is pretty evident that two years down the line, the actual figures do not match the predicted ones. The trajectory is still viable, and possibly the targets, too. The reason for this mismatch is attributed to several reasons. It lists six of these and terms them as the main challenges that have been thought to have negatively impacted the current Atamnirbhar “Score Card”.
At the forefront is the “Significant Import Trend” bypassing the restrictions. As per Mr Neel Mehta, Asteria Aerospace 50 -70% of components are imported. This is essentially an enforcement issue as entities openly defy the norms through backdoors and gaps in the policy documents. The Enforcers themselves are involved in many cases, such as the GEM portal and procurements by the Armed Forces. The OEMs, on their part, have to find the balance between Price, Quality, Lead Times and Market Access when deciding whether to import or source from domestic manufacturers.
The second is the cumbersome Type certification (TC) process that entered the discussions. One speaker ( a successful business owner) quoted a figure of eight months minimum and no provision for a shorter process for a minor change to innovate the product for which TC has been granted.
The other aspect was the lack of testing sites and prohibitive costs of undertaking R&D for replacing critical components. The Cash starved startups vie for the minuscule budgetary allocations and, to their credit, develop innovative solutions. However, the overall risk appetite for failures that are a part of any R&D effort remains low.
The positives in the R&D environment case is the approval by the Government of India (GOI) of a couple of testing sites and operating surfaces under the DTIS scheme in the Defence Corridors of Tamil Nadu & Uttar Pradesh, with one of them (ADART) entering the construction phase as a SPV project.
There is an all-around shortage of “capable” skilled manpower, especially in training and supervisory roles. This, in turn, is a human resource development issue that needs to keep pace with the requirements of the Industry. Often, companies invest heavily in training the human element for as long as six months and, after that, have to spend even more effort retaining the resources they create.
The PLI scheme has served its purpose but needs a critical review to assess the actual impact on Indigenous development of critical components. The IdeaForge representative, Lt. Gen Inderjit Singh, also alluded to the fact that a Design Linked Incentive should have preceded the PLI, and some aspects must be incorporated in the new avatar of the PLI scheme. Earlier, Shri Vumlunmang Vualnam, Secretary MoCA GoI, also mentioned that the PLI scheme needs to be more efficient in terms of implementation and Documentation to achieve the true intent of Indigenisation. Let us hope the “Abhinav-Abhikalp” proposal will be a valuable addition to the PLI 2.0 scheme whenever it is rolled out. The proposal to cover the counter-drone segment and the services sector is also an excellent suggestion.
In his address during Drone Varta, Maj Gen CS Mann, AVSM, VSM, Additional Director General, Army Design Bureau(ADB), Indian Army, made some very astute observations from the perspective of Indian Armed Forces, terming the unavailability of domestically manufactured critical components as a National Security risk owing to the possible negative impact of the Global Supply Chain Disruptions. He also told the industry to move beyond mere “Lip service” and be truthful about the Indigenous claims. Responding to the query about the unavailability of funds, he said to come to ADB with a proposal and that funding would be provided. He wanted alternate models of procurements to be proposed by the Industry as a possible replacement to the current (T1L1) system. The Verification of Indigenous content would continue to remain a focus area, and the Army requires the Industry to supply drones that can perform well in high-altitude regions in multiple roles such as Surveillance, Logistics, FPV, COMINT, ELINT & SAR.
Secretary MoCA, in his address, divided the Drones into three broad categories from a regulator perspective. These are Civil, Security, & Unregulated Rogue usage of Drones. As per him, from a regulator perspective, clarity of structures, an efficient framework & firewalling are the need of the hour, and this must not evolve by adding additional layers. How this statement impacts the policy rollout remains to be seen.
Dr Sarita of BotLabs Dynamics made one of the best recommendations when she spoke about the R&D process, which, as per her observation, is a “Long Drawn Painful Process”. As recommended by her, Replicate first; after that, Optimise for performance and once that is done, Optimise for cost.
Several patent-related issues were also discussed on how to get your software patented in India.
The DGAQA representative responded to a query about testing standards and indicated that we follow NATO/ Western standards while certifying and testing components for inducting into the armed forces. When we take a look at our nascent Industry, we must evolve our own Indian standards specifically suited to the emergent ecosystem with limited testing facilities, shoestring budgets and security implications.
The point on unavailability of trained supervisors in the entire drone and Robotics ecosystem is also a significant point of concern mentioned by high-growth companies in manpower training and RPTO
The EASA, in its recently released report on Annual Safety, included a section on Drone accidents for the first time. Of the total of 12 mentioned incidents, two have been termed as serious and of these, one was fatal and one with serious injuries. The fatality occurred as an 8 kg model aircraft in full flight struck an uninvolved remote pilot. In the non-fatal accident, a 31 kg model sailplane diverted from its path during the towing phase. It hit the ground before seriously injuring an uninvolved remote pilot of another UAS with one of its wings.”
With these fresh incidents in mind, During the Drone Expo 2024 event, I also took a masterclass on this subject. The intent was to make the audience understand the impact of Safe operations on their company’s cash flow. One of the prime reasons for choosing this topic is a series of incidents I witnessed during the Technoxian event at Noida Stadium at the end of August. Over four days, I judged three Drone Related Events during which I interacted with many Drone enthusiasts, Educators, Teachers & Parents. I observed a general lack of awareness across the spectrum about “Safe” Drone Operations. I, too, witnessed several incidents during those days. And I got perturbed about the level of awareness & importance given to Safety. As per me, Ideally, all the serious operators and manufacturers would have seen a crash.
The Safety-Security Matrix is an important issue that needs to be debated as it has impacted the rollout of the regulatory framework and changed the entire landscape. The key element of this regulatory framework was issued in Aug 2021 through the Drone Rules 2021. These rules are based on the premise of TRUST, SELF-CERTIFICATION and NON-INTRUSIVE Monitoring. These rules were followed by establishing a drone directorate, Drone Aerospace Map and the PLI scheme for Drones. The series of developments in the regulatory sphere continued, and this month, the policy on the Vertiport establishment type certification of the VTOL aircraft. Do recall the Drone Rules 2021 were designed to usher in an era of super-normal growth while balancing safety and security considerations. Several approvals were abolished, and processes were simplified. An interactive drone airspace map with Green, red and yellow zones was rolled out. Several Concessions were granted for R&D purposes.
From a pure security perspective, as manufacturers and operators, we must clearly understand that drones are more than just aircraft; they are networked computing Devices prone to similar flaws. Some of the common attacks against drones include platform takeover, Spoofing and Jamming attacks.
From a self-governance point of view, from an industry perspective, we need to ensure that firm safety standards and the in-house training we impart and undertake match the realities of our mission. For this, accurate Risk Assessment is mandatory, along with a proactive approach. The resulting safety practices and guidelines must be practically implementable with a Proactive approach. This approach needs to involve the following best practices that I have recommended and would result in significant cost Savings.
Often, one has to choose to Have a trusted knowledge partner with the necessary experience, Domain Expertise, & Capability to Deliver on the Safety Promise.
Let us all align our efforts to achieve the goal of self-reliance in a win-win and collaborative manner.
Happy Vijaya Dash!!!
