The Indian Army has exercised an order for 450 Nagastra-1R loitering munitions from Solar Industries' subsidiary, Economics Explosives Ltd., by way of the Make in India program, thus considerably enhancing India's drone warfare capabilities. The Nagastra-1R is a precision-guided drone engineered for tactical high-impact missions and man-portable, developed in conjunction with DRDO.
The defense officials who have agreed to comment say that the contract was firmed up this week and is worth nearly ₹300 crore. The contract signing followed the successful field trials held earlier this year when the Nagastra-1R proved itself with distinction under all sorts of terrain and weather conditions.
Designed for tracking, loitering, and precision targeting of enemy sites, the Nagastra-1R can go up to 30 minutes in flight and accommodate targets up to 15 kilometers away with its single-use or reusable explosive payload.
Its selling point genuinely remains the precision strike with a less than 2-meter Circular Error Probability (CEP), spotlighting it as a formidable combatant against smaller high-value targets. It can strike bunkers, vehicles, and infantry formations.
The Nagastra-1R stands out with its unique parachute recovery system, allowing safe return and reuse—an advantage over foreign drones like Israel's Hero and the US-made Switchblade.
Solar says there is a minimum 75% indigenous content in the Nagastra-1R system, and the key components were manufactured locally: the airframe, warhead, software, and guidance systems. This follows the strategic thrust for defense indigenization in India under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
"This order is a recognition of Indian private-sector innovation. We're delivering world-class precision loitering munitions at a fraction of the cost of imported options," said Manish Nuwal, CEO of Solar Industries.
As the borders in Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, and along the Line of Control are very volatile, the need for a low-footprint, precision-strike capability has grown. Drones such as the Nagastra-1R provide a low-risk option to operate in contested areas opposite buffs and artillery, especially in dense or high-altitude settings.
There are indications from army sources that the Nagastra-1R is going to be used by frontline infantry battalions, special forces units, and artillery regiments, providing one of the fastest reactive strikes anywhere in areas where time and accuracy dictate battlefield operations.
Defense analysts consider this acquisition to be a promotive step in the realization of India as a drone power, as the explosive drone proves its worth in different forms in global conflicts.
With longer-range and heavier variations under trials, SDAL and DRDO are expected to expand offerings for the Naval Shipyard and the Air Force.
Promoted toward networking battlefield readiness, the Nagastra-1R may become standard equipment for an Indian soldier in the parks of a few decades.