Indian Army to Add 225 Indigenous FPV Drones; Aerodrone Says Systems Were Tested Up to 17,500 Feet

The Indian Army is moving to expand its inventory of compact First-Person View drones through a procurement for 225 seven-inch FPV systems, strengthening a category of unmanned aircraft that has become increasingly important in surveillance, reconnaissance and precision battlefield operations.

Government e-Marketplace procurement records show that the requirement was processed under the Department of Military Affairs through GeM bid. The tender covered 225 seven-inch FPV drones, with Aerodrone Robotics Private Limited emerging as the lowest-priced bidder in the published result.

Aerodrone has separately stated that its drones underwent competitive evaluation under demanding operational conditions, including trials at altitudes reaching 17,500 feet. The altitude figure comes from the company rather than a separate Ministry of Defence announcement, but it aligns with the Army’s wider push to evaluate indigenous drones for operations in the Himalayas and other high-altitude environments.

GeM Procurement Covers 225 Seven-Inch FPV Drones

The GeM tender sought 225 seven-inch First-Person View drones for the Department of Military Affairs.

The bid closed on July 20, 2026, and the result was declared on August 1, 2026. Aerodrone Robotics was listed as the L1 bidder with a quoted value of approximately ₹1.97 crore.

The procurement reflects the Army’s growing interest in relatively small unmanned platforms that can be deployed quickly and operated close to frontline formations.

FPV drones typically transmit a live camera feed directly to an operator, allowing the aircraft to be controlled from the drone’s perspective. Their compact size and manoeuvrability make them particularly useful in environments where larger unmanned aircraft may be difficult to deploy.

Aerodrone Says Trials Reached 17,500 Feet

Aerodrone Robotics says the systems were evaluated for parameters including endurance, speed, accuracy and operational performance before the procurement decision.

The company has stated that testing included operations at altitudes of up to 17,500 feet, a particularly relevant benchmark for the Indian Army given its deployments across the Himalayan frontier.

Operating small drones at high altitude presents substantial engineering challenges. Reduced air density lowers propeller efficiency and lift, while low temperatures can affect batteries, electronics and endurance.

A platform capable of functioning reliably in such conditions requires careful optimisation of propulsion, power management, flight-control software and structural weight.

High-Altitude Drone Operations Are an Army Priority

The Indian Army has been testing unmanned systems specifically for high-altitude operations for several years.

In September 2024, the Ministry of Defence announced HIM-DRONE-A-THON 2, organised at Wari La near Leh to demonstrate drone technologies for high-altitude areas. The programme was designed to give Indian drone manufacturers an opportunity to test their systems under demanding Himalayan conditions.

The Army said at the time that troops operate from the icy heights of the Siachen Glacier to rugged mountain terrain where equipment faces exceptional environmental challenges.

This emphasis has continued as unmanned systems become more deeply integrated into the Army’s capability-development plans.

Drones Are Moving Into Core Battlefield Roles

The Indian Army is no longer treating drones simply as surveillance accessories.

Official Ministry of Defence demonstrations have included unmanned aerial systems, runway-independent remotely piloted aircraft, loitering munitions, UAV-launched precision-guided weapons, specialised vertical-launch drones and counter-UAS systems.

During capacity-development demonstrations conducted in 2025, the Army evaluated these technologies under simulated operational conditions at several locations, including Joshimath.

The objective was to accelerate the absorption of emerging technologies into frontline formations and strengthen operational readiness.

Why FPV Drones Matter

FPV drones occupy a different operational niche from larger surveillance UAVs.

They are comparatively inexpensive, compact and rapidly deployable. Their live video feed enables operators to manoeuvre through complex terrain and maintain close visual control of the aircraft.

In mountain warfare, this can support reconnaissance of ridgelines, observation posts, valleys and routes that may be difficult or dangerous for troops to approach directly.

Small drones can also provide immediate situational awareness at the tactical level, reducing the time required to observe terrain beyond a unit’s direct line of sight.

High Altitude Changes Drone Performance

Drone performance falls as altitude increases because thinner air reduces aerodynamic lift.

Motors and propellers must work harder to maintain flight, while batteries can lose efficiency in extreme cold. Wind conditions can also change rapidly in mountainous terrain.

These factors make high-altitude evaluation particularly important for systems intended for the Indian Army.

The Army’s Himalayan deployments require equipment capable of operating in conditions very different from those encountered during routine low-altitude commercial drone flights.

Indigenous Software and Configuration Are Increasingly Important

Aerodrone describes its systems as being supported by software developed in-house, giving the company greater control over flight-control functions and platform configuration.

For military users, domestic control over software can be important because drone configurations may need to be adapted to specific operational requirements.

It can also reduce dependence on foreign software ecosystems and externally controlled updates.

This broader emphasis on indigenous design aligns with the Ministry of Defence’s policy of expanding domestic drone manufacturing and reducing dependence on imported unmanned systems.

Indian Army Has Built a Wider Drone Development Ecosystem

The Army has spent several years working with Indian manufacturers, startups and technology developers to accelerate unmanned-system development.

In 2022, it launched the Him Drone-a-thon in collaboration with the Drone Federation of India. The programme was intended to connect the Army with domestic companies capable of developing drones for frontline requirements.

The Army Design Bureau has also worked with industry, academia, startups and research organisations to identify technologies that can be moved rapidly from demonstration to operational evaluation.

This approach has helped create a direct pathway between military requirements and the domestic drone industry.

Defence Ministry Is Expanding Indigenous Drone Procurement

The wider procurement environment has also shifted strongly towards unmanned systems.

In June 2025, the Ministry of Defence announced emergency procurement contracts worth nearly ₹2,000 crore for the Indian Army covering several categories of equipment. These included remotely piloted aerial vehicles, loitering munitions, counter-drone systems and various categories of drones.

In March 2026, the Defence Ministry again emphasised the strategic importance of building a domestic drone manufacturing ecosystem, identifying indigenous production as an important element of defence preparedness and technological self-reliance.

The 225-drone FPV requirement fits within this broader transformation.

From Trials to Tactical Deployment

The importance of the latest FPV procurement lies not simply in the number of aircraft involved.

It represents the continued movement of small drones from demonstrations and technology trials towards routine military equipment.

The Army’s earlier drone programmes focused heavily on discovering and testing indigenous technologies. Current procurements increasingly involve platforms that have already passed through field evaluation and competitive assessment.

This transition is creating a more mature domestic market for military unmanned systems.

Indian FPV Capability Moves Forward

The procurement of 225 seven-inch FPV drones adds another layer to the Indian Army’s expanding unmanned capability.

The GeM process provides a clear government procurement trail, while Aerodrone’s reported high-altitude trials underline the type of operating conditions that Indian military drones are increasingly expected to withstand.

For the Army, compact FPV systems offer another tool for reconnaissance, observation and tactical operations in difficult terrain.

For India’s drone industry, the programme demonstrates how indigenous platforms are progressing from prototypes and demonstrations towards structured military procurement, strengthening the domestic ecosystem for future unmanned warfare technologies.

---

References

1. Government e-Marketplace — Bid GEM/2025/B/6907547, 7 Inch First Person View (FPV) Drone, Department of Military Affairs.
2. Ministry of Defence / Press Information Bureau — Indian Army Launches Him Drone-a-thon, August 8, 2022.
3. Ministry of Defence / Press Information Bureau — Curtain Raiser for HIM-DRONE-A-THON 2 & HIMTECH-2024, September 4, 2024.
4. Ministry of Defence / Press Information Bureau — Indian Army Conducts Trials of Next-Gen Defence Technologies Under Simulated Operational Conditions, May 31, 2025.
5. Ministry of Defence / Press Information Bureau — Ministry of Defence Concludes Emergency Procurement Contracts Worth Nearly ₹2,000 Crore, June 24, 2025.
6. Ministry of Defence / Press Information Bureau — National Defence Industries Conclave 2026, March 19, 2026.
7. Aerodrone Robotics Private Limited — Company statement on FPV drone evaluation and reported high-altitude trials.

---