ET Government reports: DRDO to seek industry partner for mobile anti-drone laser system
What happened
India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) plans to seek an industry partner within six days to manufacture an indigenous 30kW-class mobile laser weapon system. The truck-mounted platform is designed to target drone swarms, unmanned aerial vehicles, and surveillance sensors at ranges of up to 5 kilometers.
Why it matters
The decision marks a formal transition from laboratory development to industrial production for India's directed-energy weapons program. Partnering with commercial manufacturers aims to establish operational manufacturing capacity for mobile counter-drone hardware.
Bigger picture
The initiative reflects a broader defense strategy of transferring state-developed military technology to industrial partners. Scaling domestic production for specialized hardware supports policy efforts to secure critical defense supply chains.
Watch next
Watch for DRDO to release its industry partnership solicitation within six days.