Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit: Drones Add A New Dimension To Warfare, Call For Indigenous Innovation

At a high-powered workshop at Delhi’s Manekshaw Centre, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit called for a unified national push to indigenise drone technology, following the strategic success of Operation Sindoor. Citing the global shift in warfare—from Ukraine to the Middle East—Dixit emphasised how UAVs have added "a new dimension" to combat. He urged India’s military, scientific institutions, civil agencies, and industry to collaborate and "aggregate demand" to boost innovation in drone manufacturing and reduce import dependence. Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan also addressed the event, declaring that "today’s warfare has to be fought with tomorrow’s technology" and stressed the urgency of developing homegrown defence systems. The workshop, organised by the Integrated Defence Staff and Centre for Joint Warfare Studies, also featured drone demos and innovation showcases from startups and defence tech firms.