The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has developed the country’s first fully indigenous, artificial intelligence-based anti-drone system named “SHATAKSHI,” officials said. The system has been created under the guidance of Professor Indranila Saha, and a patent has already been filed.
According to the developers, the anti-drone system can detect and neutralise hostile drones from a distance of around one to one-and-a-half kilometres. Details of the system have been shared with the Indian Army, and it may be deployed by the armed forces if trials and evaluations are successful.
The system was developed by Sarvagya Shukla, a former IIT Kanpur student who is now the CEO of Sky AI. He said the Army currently relies on radar systems to detect enemy drones, but these come with certain limitations.
“Radars are very expensive, and India often has to depend on countries like China and Israel for such systems,” Shukla said, adding that radars also struggle to detect drones flying close to the ground.
Shukla said the indigenous anti-drone system costs between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 30 lakh to build, which is significantly lower than the cost of radar-based systems that can run into several crores.
He also noted that the team at IIT Kanpur has developed multiple categories of drones, including attack drones, reconnaissance drones, and operational drones. Operational drones, often referred to as suicide drones, are designed to destroy enemy drones by colliding with them and exploding on impact.
Reconnaissance drones are used for surveillance and can carry additional payloads, while attack drones can be equipped with different types of weapons, depending on operational needs.
Officials said the development marks a significant step toward indigenous and cost-effective drone defence technology in India.
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