SINGAPORE, 7 Sept. 2007. According to a new study from Frost & Sullivan, organizations in India have ambitious plans to meet the global benchmark and modernize its armed forces in terms of military resource capabilities due to pressing security, military, and maritime reconnaissance needs.
The introduction of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is one of the first steps toward achieving this goal. The utilization of this technology in the Kashmir region, coupled with the boom in the aviation industry are providing UAV development programs the necessary foundation to succeed in the immediate future.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, India UAV Markets Update, finds that the UAV markets have been dormant in 2006, but estimates revenues to reach $129.3 million by 2016.
UAV developments in India have been idle for the past two decades; however, recent developments have seen India replicating its capabilities to focus on research and development. The government realizes that there is an urgent need to modernize its armed forces' capabilities.
"UAV technologies are expected to re-shape national defense strategies and policies," notes Frost & Sullivan research aAnalyst Kenneth Chan. "UAVs are currently being tested in real-world situations by the Indian armed forces, and early test results have proven that this technology will be very useful, more economical and successful in different types of operations."
India's Government is actively supporting efforts to build a platform for indigenous UAV developments. Government, or government-linked organizations and institutions, have been set up to pursue all research and development efforts. Currently, the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is leading many joint programs in UAV developments.
"With the country re-examining the failures of past designs and inculcating foreign expertise into its current batch of UAV programs, India is expected to be an extensive user of UAVs over the next decade," explains Chan. "Contributions from public and private indigenous UAV developers are also expected to increase."
While the Indian Government has been proactive in addressing challenges, there are still many gaps in the industry that have to be filled to spur the growth of the local UAV market. Therefore, numerous opportunities exist for all industry stakeholders to penetrate the Indian UAV market.
