Experts at the India Today Conclave South warned that drone swarms could become a far greater threat in future warfare. Newspace Research and Technologies CEO Samir Joshi said the scale of drone attacks seen during Operation Sindoor could increase tenfold as adversaries adopt more advanced technologies.

DRDO scientist D Seshagiri highlighted rapid advances in UAVs and autonomous underwater vehicles, stressing that drone detection and deterrence would be critical. He said current detection ranges of 80-100 km leave limited reaction time, making airborne platforms increasingly important.

Astra Microwave CTO VK Anandan said warfare was moving from ground systems to UAVs and space-based technologies, with space likely to play a central role in future military operations. Experts also called for India to move from “Make in India” to “Invent in India” and “Own in India”, focusing on indigenous intellectual property and critical technologies.