New Delhi: Drone technology firm IdeaForge Technology has secured an order worth about Rs 137 crore for hybrid mini unmanned aerial vehicle systems from the Indian Army through the emergency procurement route, the company said on Monday.
ideaForge said a key requirement during the assessment for the selection of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) was that all critical sub-components must be sourced from non-border-sharing nations, and that the platform be substantially indigenous in capability and design.
“ideaForge Technology has secured a significant win through the emergency procurement route. The order, valued at approximately Rs 137 crore, has been placed by the Indian Army for its high-performance hybrid Mini UAV systems, which are already battle-tested and inducted into the Army’s inventory for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) operations,” the company said in the statement.
One of the key conditions of this emergency purchase was that none of the drone’s core parts should be sourced from countries that share a land border with India. ideaForge’s UAVs cleared this requirement after thorough inspections, which involved two separate technical teams visiting its factories and verifying the origin of each component.
The Indian Army’s procurement process included detailed due diligence on the security and supply chain front, with authorities physically and digitally breaking down the UAVs to check component authenticity.
The Mini UAV has already been certified as “Fit for Indian Military Use” by the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA), which means it has met the military’s strict standards for durability and performance.
The order is to be fulfilled within 12 months.
This deal is part of a broader push by the Indian armed forces to stock up on critical equipment, including loitering munitions, counter-drone systems, anti-tank missiles, and artillery ammunition, after recent operations along the western border. Under emergency procurement rules, the services are allowed to make quick purchases amounting to up to 15 percent of the total defence modernisation budget. As per the 2025-26 Union Budget, this cap stands at Rs 24,000 crore.
