India Tightens Security Checks on Military Drones Over Chinese Components Concerns
India has recently tightened the inspection process for locally manufactured military drones after declaring the use of Chinese-made electronic and other sensitive components a national security concern.
The Indian Defence Ministry has identified potential backdoors, data leaks or external control in drones manufactured by a local drone company through the use of foreign, particularly Chinese-made, sensitive components.
According to Indian officials, concerns have emerged over locally manufactured drone systems using flight controllers, communication modules, cameras, electronic circuits and other components sourced from foreign suppliers. Indian security agencies fear that suspicious or unverified components used in sensitive military drones could potentially provide unauthorised access to mission-related information, flight paths, surveillance data and other sensitive information.
The possibility of compromising the drone’s control or communication systems is also among the security concerns.
The Indian Army began measures during 2023-24 to restrict the use of sensitive components sourced from countries sharing land borders with India, particularly China, in military drones.
In November 2024, the Defence Ministry also instructed the defence industry to remain cautious about supply chains, while certain drone projects and procurement contracts were subjected to scrutiny.
In February 2025, the Indian Army cancelled several drone contracts worth around 2.3 billion Indian rupees. These included the procurement of around 400 different types of logistics drones intended for deployment along the Line of Actual Control.
According to sources, objections related to Chinese-made electronic components emerged during investigations into some of the systems.
India subsequently expanded the scope of component-level security testing for the procurement and manufacture of drones.
The Indian Army’s Army Design Bureau has developed a comprehensive framework under which more than 20 tests have been made mandatory to check hardware and software vulnerabilities in drones.
The testing is planned to be incorporated from the initial stages of procurement, including the Request for Information (RFI) and Request for Proposal (RFP) stages.
As part of the same effort, the Indian Army has established a specialised laboratory in New Delhi. The facility is aimed at technically analysing potential security vulnerabilities, unauthorised modifications and risks arising from foreign components in military drones and other electronic defence systems.
According to the Indian Army, the laboratory will conduct detailed examinations of software, firmware and electronic components inside drones. Experts will look for hidden passwords, embedded security keys, remote-access tools and possible backdoors.
The laboratory will also examine whether drones accept only authorised and approved software updates. The response and operational behaviour of drones in cases of GPS spoofing and jamming will also be analysed.
The facility will operate in a completely offline and air-gapped environment, with the aim of limiting potential threats from external networks while sensitive defence systems are being tested.
Another major challenge for India is that the supply of certain key components used in the domestic manufacture of drones remains linked to foreign sources, particularly China. Despite increased domestic production of motors, magnets, chips, electronic circuits and other sensitive components, reducing dependence on China across the supply chain remains a challenge for India.
Indian authorities are now requiring local drone manufacturers to meet strict security certification requirements as well as provide complete supply-chain traceability for components. The objective is to develop drones that are protected from cyberattacks, data theft, network compromise and possible external control from the initial design stage.
