In a recent YouTube video titled “The Drone Age of War”, Rahul Gandhi offered a sweeping critique of India’s defence manufacturing capabilities, lamenting that the country “does not make any of the components” inside advanced drones and has failed to develop core competencies in electric motors, optics, and batteries. His underlying argument: India is missing out on a new industrial revolution powered by drone technology, artificial intelligence, and a robust production ecosystem.
Yet, less than a few months later, Operation Sindoor—India’s swift and precision-driven military retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack—proved his claims not just outdated, but fundamentally inaccurate. In what can only be described as a landmark moment for India’s indigenous defence industry, homegrown drones, including the SkyStriker and Nagastra-1, played a starring role in neutralizing cross-border terror threats and defending Indian territory from missile strikes.
What Did Rahul Gandhi Say?
In the video, he said, “This is a DJI drone made in China and that’s a Lithium Polymer battery. these are four brushless DC motors and that’s the camera. so what I was saying was that when you connect these brushless Motors to this battery, give it a camera and allow people to communicate directly with this through FPV unit you change Warfare. This little thing is now making tanks, artillery pieces, large weapons in the Ukraine Battlefield, pretty much obsolete. I said that Industrial Systems fight Wars. This is actually a commercial product this is made by a Chinese Factory called DJI and this is actually a toy. What we are seeing here is innovative technology of the motor high quality Optics telecommunication equipment and essentially a bunch of cell phone batteries set together are allowing this thing to transform the battlefield. So, it is the Optics and communication system are allowing you to see the battlefield see the sea in a completely different way and then the electric motor is allowing you to Target very very accurately, put explosive power very accurately where you want and this is revolutionized how accurately you can Target kinetic energy.”
Continuing, he said, “We have to build such a system and we have to have competence in electric motors, we have to develop competence in Optics, we have to develop competence in batteries. this is what is going to be at the heart of the electric vehicle, this is what’s going to be at the heart of all robotics, this is what’s going to be at the heart of drones, this is what’s going to be at the heart of Submarine, this is going to be at the heart of toys, Warfare, everything and the sad fact is that we’re nowhere here. we don’t make any of the components inside this we don’t understand how it’s made, we certainly don’t make any of the Optics, we don’t understand how it’s made and that’s what my speech was getting at that, this is actually where we should be playing and the network that produces this is where the real value is and all AI is actually going to be operating on this network so for example when this thing is built AI is going to be used to order how it’s built when this thing is used AI will determine how it’s used.”
It is noteworthy that the drone that Rahul Gandhi is praising in the video is banned for use in India without special permissions. DJI drones, frequently used by Pakistan-based narco-terrorists and smugglers, are linked to cross-border drug trafficking. His public use of such a drone violates no-fly zone rules and undermines national security protocols.
How India Proved Him Wrong
What we saw in the aftermath of the Pakistani aggression at the border will put Rahul Gandhi to shame for his massively ignorant comment.
SkyStriker: The Bengaluru-Israeli ‘Suicide Drone’ That Hit Terror Targets
- Developed by Bengaluru’s Alpha Design Technologies in partnership with Israel’s Elbit Systems.
- Used in Operation Sindoor to destroy terror launchpads in PoK.
- Capabilities:
- 10 kg warhead, precision GPS-guided strikes.
- Silent & stealthy—undetectable by radar.
- Can loiter for hours before striking with surgical accuracy.
Nagastra-1: India’s First Indigenous ‘Suicide Drone’ (Kamikaze)
- Made by Nagpur-based Solar Industries India.
- Key Features:
- 1 kg high-explosive warhead, GPS-guided (within 2m accuracy).
- 30 km range, reusable if mission aborted (parachute recovery).
- 75% indigenous components, 40% cheaper than foreign equivalents.
- Proved critical in neutralizing high-value terror targets.
HARPY Drones: Disabling Pakistan’s Air Defence
- Used to blind Pakistani radars, including one in Lahore, post-S-400 interception.
- Autonomous SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defences) capability—hunts and destroys radar emissions.
The Markets React: Defence Stocks Soar
India’s performance in Operation Sindoor had an immediate economic impact. Solar Industries, the manufacturer behind Nagastra-1, saw its stock surge 2.3% in a single day post-operation, with a staggering 1,450% gain over the past five years. Its market capitalization now stands at over ₹1.2 lakh crore.
Alpha Design Technologies, in which Adani Defence holds a 26% stake, also gained attention, with analysts highlighting how these drones are transitioning from showcases at expos to frontline operational assets.
The successful use of these platforms sends a powerful message to global investors: India is no longer merely assembling parts—it is innovating at scale.
Where Rahul Gandhi Got It Wrong
While Rahul Gandhi correctly emphasized the significance of motors, batteries, optics, and AI in future warfare, his assertion that India “does not make any components inside drones” is no longer valid.
- Motors and Power Systems: Indigenous drone platforms like Nagastra-1 and SkyStriker incorporate advanced electric drives designed for stealth and efficiency.
- Optics and Targeting: These drones include homegrown targeting systems integrated with GPS, AI algorithms, and thermal imaging for night-time operations.
- Software and AI Integration: Contrary to the claim that India is absent from the AI race, the software controlling these loitering drones uses real-time data analytics, route optimization, and autonomous targeting protocols—areas where India is gaining competence rapidly.
Furthermore, Gandhi downplayed the role of Indian private-sector giants like Adani Defence, labelling them mere assemblers. But Operation Sindoor’s battlefield success proves that these firms are now core contributors to India’s military-industrial complex. Assembly lines are giving way to innovation pipelines, bolstered by Make in India, Startup India, and Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 reforms.
A Technological Inflection Point for India
What Rahul Gandhi calls a “toy” from DJI is not irrelevant—it illustrates the rise of bottom-up innovation. But his mistake is assuming that India is absent from this phenomenon. In reality, Indian drones like Nagastra-1 are not only functional but strategically tailored for the subcontinent’s terrain and conflict realities. Indian defence tech now spans land, air, sea, and cyber realms—S-400, SkyStriker, HARPY, and Nagastra-1 collectively form a multi-domain deterrent grid. As the battlefield becomes more transparent and drone-saturated, India’s focus on indigenous capabilities will define future deterrence and tactical superiority.
A New Chapter in Indian Defence
India’s powerful response in Operation Sindoor marks a tectonic shift in how war is waged—and how indigenous innovation is mobilized for national security – be it the Akashteer Defence System or the homegrown drones. Far from the hollow vision of helplessness Rahul Gandhi painted, the reality is that India is rapidly becoming self-reliant, resilient, and forward-looking in the defence sector.
Rahul Gandhi’s critique is a wake-up call, but the battlefield has already responded. India is not just flying drones—it’s soaring into the future of warfare on its own wings.
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