By News18
Indian Army Design Bureau鈥檚 ADG Major General CS Mann on Friday asserted that no Chinese parts will be used in any military components amid stringent checks and protocols to eliminate vulnerabilities in drone systems.
Speaking on Chinese components being used in Indian drones, Major General Mann said, 鈥淚 said last year that we are making a framework 鈥 and now that framework has been completed and is under approval. Once approved, thorough testing will be conducted to ensure our equipment is free from any security vulnerabilities.鈥
VIDEO | Delhi: Army Design Bureau鈥檚 ADG Major General CS Mann says, 鈥淣o Chinese parts will be used in any military components鈥 We are keeping stringent checks and protocols to eliminate vulnerabilities, especially in drone systems.鈥 pic.twitter.com/Y0Sj7m3D0m
鈥 Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 4, 2025
This came after Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance), Lt Gen Rahul R Singh, on Friday said China was providing live inputs to Pakistan during India鈥檚 Operation Sindoor.
鈥淲hen the DGMO-level talks were going on, Pakistan was getting live inputs of our deployment from China. So that is one place we really need to move fast and take appropriate action,鈥 Lt Gen Singh said at the 鈥楴ew Age Military Technologies鈥 event organised by FICCI.
India has mainly imported military drones from Israel, but in recent years its nascent drone industry has scaled up procurement, although reliance on China continues for certain components such as motors, sensors and imaging systems.
Earlier, India Today reported that the Ministry of Defence will launch a comprehensive review of military procurement to identify Chinese-origin components in equipment supplied to the armed forces, in a bid to assess vulnerabilities in the defence supply chain.
India To Launch Rs 1,935 Crore Incentive
India is also set to launch a $234 million (Rs 1,945 crore) incentive programme for civil and military drone makers to reduce their reliance on imported components and counter rival Pakistan鈥檚 programme built on support from China and Turkey, three sources told Reuters.
The ministry is likely to appoint an external agency to audit claims of indigenous content, map supply chain dependencies and carry out detailed evaluations of cost structures and technology transfer processes. The Indian Army is working to identify and support Indian companies who can make and manufacture critical components under the 鈥楳ake in India鈥 initiative.
India鈥檚 renewed focus on unmanned aerial systems came a four-day conflict with Pakistan in May, which marked the first time both nuclear-armed countries used drones extensively against each other.
This programme will run for three years that will cover manufacture of drones, components, software, counter drone systems, and services, according to two government and one industry source.
In February, India had scrapped three contracts for the procurement of 400 logistics drones for the army, as per reports, amid incidents of hacking of drones that use Chinese parts at the international border.
China leads the global drone industry, controlling up to 90% of the commercial drone market. The Chinese company DJI alone holds a 70% market share.
(with inputs from agencies)