The canceled deals, worth $26 million (INR 230 crores), included contracts for 200 medium-altitude drones, 100 heavyweight drones, and 100 lightweight logistics drones, as reported by The Times of India on Feb 7.
Pathikrit Payne, a senior fellow at the Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation, a think tank affiliated with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), confirmed the cancellations.
“The government is concerned about the cyber vulnerabilities of India’s drones, particularly those with Chinese components. There are fears that China could exploit backdoor access to take control of drones, bypassing security protocols,” Payne said.
India has been ramping up efforts to boost domestic drone production, aiming to manufacture critical components locally under its production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme. The initiative seeks to reduce dependence on Chinese technology while enhancing national security.
“The government is making the right move by fostering an ecosystem that encourages companies to source and manufacture drones entirely in India, rather than just assembling imported parts,” Payne added.
China’s ambitions to become the leading global superpower by 2049 include technological dominance, according to experts Emilian Kavalski and Claris Diaz from China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe (CHOICE). Their analysis highlights the security risks posed by Chinese-made drones, urging nations to integrate these concerns into national security policies.
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