US's Shield AI wins contract to supply V-BAT drones to Indian Army
The Indian Army picked Shield AI's V-BAT drones and Hivemind software from the US.
These drones, already used by Israeli forces against Hamas and by Ukrainian forces, will help India run autonomous missions even in tricky environments.
The deal also marks a big step for India's push to boost homegrown defense tech.
What makes V-BAT drones stand out?
V-BAT drones can take off vertically, run over 12 hours on a single tank, and launch from almost anywhere—ships, rooftops, or remote sites—with just two people.
They carry up to 11kg of gear for surveillance or electronic warfare and are designed for India's diverse terrain.
As Sarjan Shah from Shield AI put it, the drones are suited to missions from the Himalayas to coastal regions and to India's need for resilient autonomy.
Made in India: Next steps
JSW Defence is building a $90 million facility in Hyderabad to make these drones locally.
Shield AI has licensed its Hivemind SDK to support sovereign development.