Indian Army signs a pact to procure high-altitude drones from ideaForge for $20 million

BENGALURU: Indian Army has signed a contract to buy undisclosed quantities of high-altitude drones from ideaForge for $20 million, said the company.

A high-altitude variant of ideaForge's SWITCH unmanned air vehicles or drones would be delivered over a period of one year.

ideaForge has been awarded this contract after it emerged as the only vendor that qualified the operational requirements in an evaluation done in real-world conditions, for a fast-track procurement, said the company in a press release.


The contract has cemented ideaForge’s position as India's largest manufacturer of drones for defence, homeland security and industrial applications, added the company.

SWITCH UAV is an indigenous system built to cater for the most demanding surveillance operations of the Indian Forces. This fixed wing VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) UAV can be deployed at high altitude and harsh environments for day and night surveillance in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

“SWITCH UAV is the culmination of insights and knowledge we have gained over years of experience in helping the Indian Forces operationalize UAVs in their ranks. The trials saw about a dozen national and global players compete to meet the operational requirements...Our systems are fully ready to serve nations that seek to protect their territorial sovereignty,” said Ankit Mehta, chief executive officer, ideaForge.