The Indian Army’s 515 Army Base Workshop (ABW) has signed multiple strategic memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to bolster indigenous drone manufacturing and strengthen ecosystem resilience, marking a push towards technological self-reliance.
The agreements were signed on behalf of the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army), Directorate General of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, and Headquarters Base Workshop Group, according to an official release.
As part of the initiative, the 515 ABW entered into a partnership with Nautical Wings Aerospace to enhance capabilities in electric propulsion systems, vertical lift solutions, and composite structures for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The collaboration will also provide technical support and training to Army technicians in propulsion integration, brushless direct current (BLDC) motors, propeller optimisation, and composite fabrication.
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In a second agreement, the workshop signed an MoU with Yaanendriya Private Limited, a startup incubated at ARTPARK, Indian Institute of Science. This partnership aims to advance artificial intelligence-enabled flight control systems, ground control stations, electronic speed controllers, and GNSS-based navigation, reducing reliance on foreign technologies in autonomous platforms.
To address security concerns, a third MoU was inked with National Forensic Sciences University. The collaboration will focus on drone forensics, cyber and hardware security assessment, and vulnerability analysis, helping build safeguards against hostile drone usage and cyber threats.
Officials said these partnerships build on earlier collaborations with academic institutions and startups, and represent a significant step towards modernising the Army’s unmanned systems under the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
The release noted that the agreements would promote industry collaboration and inter-institutional cooperation, enabling the 515 ABW to function as a technical incubator for innovation. The move is expected to enhance operational preparedness, keep pace with evolving technologies, and strengthen India’s defence innovation ecosystem.
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