Army’s mega drone push: TASL, Nibe lead ₹1,600 cr race; new propulsion tender next

Tata Advanced Systems will get the larger share of the order to supply 64 per cent of the 840 loitering munitions required by the Indian Army’s Artillery.

With drones dominating the modern warfare, Indian army is in the process of acquiring different kinds of unmanned aerial vehicles through tenders to augment combat capabilities.While Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) and Nibe Ltd have emerged as the lowest bidders in the Army’s tender to procure 840 loitering munitions of 100 km range, valued at around ₹1,600 crore, another tender is coming up for acquiring 36 jet-based propulsion system for UAVs, likely to be worth around ₹1,500 crore. In both the bids, orders would be split between L1 and L-2 to create larger diversified industry base for unmanned systems that have long endurance similar to Shaheed drones of Iran which have caught global attention following its .The lowest bidder, Tata Advanced Systems, will get the larger share of the order to supply 64 per cent of the 840 loitering munitions required by the Indian Army’s Artillery. TASL Advanced Loitering System (ALS) is an indigenously designed, developed and manufactured loitering munition system for advanced warfare useful for the armed forces of India in both surveillance and combat scenarios. The ALS can be equipped with different types of warheads as per the operational requirements.Its live EO / IR feed capability with its precise targeting algorithm allows the user to view live video feed enabling him to guide the munition as required, said the company. With built-in multiple failsafe features, the system can be aborted after launch, recovered and made to re-attack the same or a different target.Nibe Defence, the second highest bidder, would get to supply 36 per cent of the Vayu Astra-1 loitering munition or suicide drones, built on an Israeli-origin platform —specifically adapted from Elbit Systems’ SkyStriker technology. The system recently went through rigorous maiden technical trials and No-Cost, No-Commitment (NCNC) demonstrations for the Indian Army.Sources said the Army recently opened price bids for its fast-track procurement of loitering munitions, with the TASL expected to get orders worth roughly ₹1,000 crore while remaining around ₹600 crore Nibe will get.The Artillery Directorate is expected to induct drones from ranges between 50 km and 1,000 km in the next 12-18 months under fast-track procedures.It’s learnt that the Indian Army is looking at procurring nearly one lakh drones for ISR and other combat duties in a phased manner over a period of time.Published on July 9, 2026