The Indian Army has inked a major new drone procurement order with ideaForge after subjecting the company’s latest UAV platforms to stringent electronic-warfare and high-altitude trials. The contract, valued at nearly 1 billion rupees (approximately $11.3 million), includes deliveries of the cutting-edge Zolt drone and the widely deployed SWITCH 2 UAV, both procured through a capital emergency program.
Zolt represents the bulk of the acquisition, amounting to 750 million rupees ($8.5 million). The drone’s ability to perform in GPS-denied zones and heavily jammed environments was a key factor in its selection. SWITCH 2, which is already embedded across army units, received an additional 300-million-rupee ($3.39 million) order to expand existing fleets.
Defense observers note that the procurement is not mere fleet replenishment but part of a broader modernization drive aimed at securing India’s borders with advanced ISR tools. Zolt strengthens this strategy with its long-range surveillance capabilities and precision payload support tailored for complex missions.
ideaForge’s influence is growing across defense and civilian agencies alike. The company secured a 1.37-billion-rupee order in mid-2025 for fixed-wing VTOL drones, to be delivered within a year. Its UAVs today support diverse government operations, including disaster management by the NDRF, law enforcement missions, infrastructure monitoring, and nationwide mapping initiatives.
