New Delhi, December 28, 2025: Adani Group is planning to invest nearly ₹1.8 lakh crore in defence manufacturing next year, with a strong emphasis on unmanned and autonomous systems, advanced guided weapons and artificial intelligence-driven military platforms, sources said. The move is aimed at strengthening India’s future warfare capabilities, with the conglomerate positioning itself as a strategic anchor in the country’s defence ecosystem.
Adani Defence & Aerospace made a significant transition in 2025 from extended planning cycles to rapid deployment, with several indigenously developed systems reportedly deployed during Operation Sindoor. Building on this momentum, the company is preparing to scale investments across autonomous platforms operating in air, sea and land domains, along with advanced sensors, electronics, AI-enabled multi-domain operations, and expanded maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and training infrastructure.
Autonomous systems, which function with minimal human intervention using sensors, software and secure networks, are increasingly central to modern military strategy. In the air, these include long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles capable of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Maritime platforms such as unmanned surface and underwater vehicles are designed for surveillance, anti-submarine warfare and mine countermeasures, while unmanned ground vehicles support logistics, reconnaissance and perimeter security on land.
Sources said Adani Defence & Aerospace has emerged as India’s largest integrated private-sector defence player, with capabilities spanning unmanned aerial and underwater systems, counter-drone technologies, guided weapons, loitering munitions, small arms and ammunition, aircraft MRO, simulator-driven training and airborne warning and control systems.
During 2025, the company’s Drishti 10 UAVs were inducted into the Indian Navy and Army for long-endurance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance roles. Its counter-drone systems cleared trials conducted by the Army, Navy and Air Force, while Agnikaa loitering munitions demonstrated endurance and resistance to electronic warfare. The ARKA MANPADS shoulder-fired missile system also achieved tri-service deployment readiness within compressed timelines, sources said.
The company’s entry into AWACS platforms has positioned it as the sole private-sector player in this strategic segment. The integration of Air Works and Indamer has created a major defence-civil MRO platform, while the acquisition of FSTC has strengthened pilot and engineering training capabilities.
Sources added that Adani Defence & Aerospace is embedding sustainability through digital twins, predictive maintenance and modular design, while increased indigenous sourcing has strengthened supply-chain resilience. Looking ahead to 2026, the company plans to further scale autonomous systems across domains, expand precision-strike capabilities, deepen its MRO and training footprint, and advance AI-enabled, multi-domain operational systems in line with India’s evolving defence investment roadmap.
