Bangalore, 10 January 2024: ‘Atmanirbharta’ in defence took wing today with Adani Defence & Aerospace unveiling and handing over its indigenously manufactured Drishti 10 Starliner Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to the Indian Navy. Drishti 10 Starliner is an advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform with 36 hours endurance and 450 kg payload capacity.
The only all-weather military platform with NATO’s STANAG 4671 (standardized agreement 4671) certification for the UAV system’s airworthiness, it is cleared to fly in both segregated and unsegregated airspace. The UAV will now be taken from Hyderabad to Porbandar to be inducted into naval maritime operations.
The flag-off ceremony was led by chief guest Admiral R Hari Kumar (PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC), Chief of the Naval Staff, who lauded Adani’s efforts in aligning its roadmap to the Navy’s requirements and establishing an ecosystem of partners and capabilities to enable ‘Atmanirbharta’ in defence and security. He said, “This is a momentous occasion and a transformative step in India’s quest for self-reliance in ISR technology and maritime supremacy. Drishti 10’s integration will enhance our naval capabilities, strengthening our preparedness in the ever-evolving maritime surveillance and reconnaissance.”
Honourable Minister of Industries & Commerce, IT, Electronics and Legislative Affairs of Telangana Mr D. Sridhar Babu congratulated the Adani Defence & Aerospace team for setting up a vibrant ecosystem for unmanned systems. He said, “Adani Aerospace Park in Hyderabad is a world class facility with focus on innovation and indigenization, a testament to Indian ingenuity. can only say that we have taken all the right steps towards achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing and with initiatives taken by companies like Adani Defence, the vision laid out by the Hon’ble Prime Minister shall be achieved in its complete spirit.”
The vision of Adani Group Chairman Mr Gautam Adani is to create a legacy by supporting the goal of making India scientifically, industrially, and economically an advanced and self-reliant nation. He sees an opportunity not just to make a humble contribution to the armed forces but also support India in claiming its rightful place as a technology leader.
Jeet Adani, VP, Adani Enterprises, said, “Recent geopolitical events have reinforced the convergence of physical, informational, and cognitive tactics underpinned by intelligence, information processing capabilities, and use of unmanned and cyber systems for dissemination of information and disinformation. Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms across land, air and naval borders are a key priority for Adani to serve the armed forces and place India on the global map for exports. We are proud to be able to serve the Indian Navy.”
Ashish Rajvanshi, CEO of Adani Defence & Aerospace, said, “The handover of Drishti 10 Starliner UAV is a watershed moment in our journey towards self-sufficiency and indigenisation of advanced technologies. Our on-time delivery to the Navy is a testament to our robust quality management processes and excellent support from our partners, who worked diligently over the last 10 months from contract to delivery.”
Adani Aerospace Park is the country’s first final assembly line in the private sector for military grade unmanned systems, tactical and loitering drones, seamlessly integrated with carbon aerostructures manufacturing unit, electronics and avionics unit, and EO IR (electro optical/infra-red) payloads, thus contributing to more than 70% indigenisation.
