India advances unmanned warfare ambitions with Divyastra Mk-1 demonstration

India's indigenous defence technology capabilities received a boost after defence technology company Hoverit successfully demonstrated its tactical loitering munition platform, Divyastra Mk-1, before senior Indian Army officials in Jodhpur.

The trial marks a milestone in India's push to build advanced unmanned combat systems without relying on foreign suppliers.

According to Hoverit founder Saurav Singh Bhadauria, the demonstration marked an important milestone for the company's efforts to develop indigenous unmanned systems for the Indian Armed Forces.

The system's successful trial comes at a time when drones have emerged as a decisive weapon in modern conflicts, from Ukraine to West Asia, reshaping how armies think about warfare.

Long-range autonomous platform

Divyastra Mk-1 is an autonomous tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), decoy missions and precision strikes.

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The platform has an operational range of up to 500 kilometres and can remain airborne for up to five hours. It is capable of carrying mission-specific payloads and operating autonomously during missions.

Bhadauria told Firstpost that the ability to launch the drone from a mobile vehicle platform is particularly important in modern warfare, where mobility and survivability have become critical factors on the battlefield.

Designed for modern warfare

The company said that modern conflicts have demonstrated the growing importance of drones for surveillance and strike operations.

Divyastra Mk-1 is intended to provide military commanders with a cost-effective capability for long-range reconnaissance, target tracking, precision engagement and decoy operations. The platform can monitor large operational areas and support tactical missions without exposing personnel to direct risks.

Its autonomous features and mobile launch architecture also allow flexible deployment closer to operational zones.

Boost for Atmanirbhar Bharat

A key aspect of the Divyastra programme is its emphasis on indigenous design and manufacturing. Bhadauria said that the platform has been built with Indian components and supply chains, in line with the Government of India's Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, which aims to reduce the country's dependence on foreign defence equipment.

"The broader objective is to provide Indian forces with indigenous unmanned systems that can be produced, upgraded, and sustained domestically without dependence on foreign supply chains," Bhadauria said.

This is particularly significant given that India has historically been one of the world's largest arms importers. Homegrown systems like Divyastra represent a gradual but important shift in that equation.

What comes next

Bhadauria says that the Jodhpur demonstration is only the beginning. The company is already working on the Divyastra Mk-2, with plans to develop a broader family of unmanned platforms with greater range, heavier payloads, and advanced autonomous capabilities.

Looking ahead, the company's roadmap includes swarm-enabled drones capable of flying in coordinated groups, as well as AI-assisted systems for more complex missions.

The long-term goal, Bhadauria says, is to build a complete ecosystem of tactical and strategic UAV platforms for the Indian Armed Forces.