Munitions India Limited (MIL), a Defence Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Defence, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hyderabad-based Drogo Aerospace Private Limited to collaborate on the design, development and integration of indigenous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and loitering munition systems. The agreement, signed in Pune on September 4, 2026, marks a significant step towards combining India’s public-sector ammunition expertise with private-sector capabilities in unmanned aerial technology.
Under the partnership, Drogo Aerospace will focus on the design, development and manufacturing of UAV platforms along with associated empty-payload hardware. Munitions India, meanwhile, will contribute its experience in defence munitions and warhead technologies. The collaboration is expected to cover areas including munition design, explosive systems, payload filling, fuzing and modular munition development.
The two companies will also work towards integrating UAV platforms with munition systems and conducting safety evaluations, field trials, range trials and quality certification. These activities are intended to support the development and validation of indigenous unmanned systems capable of carrying advanced payloads for defence applications.
A major focus of the partnership is Drogo Aerospace’s Delta Wing Kamikaze UAV, also described as a loitering munition platform. The company has reported that the system recently underwent testing in Hyderabad. The platform is being developed for long-range missions and is intended to combine UAV technology with a strike capability. However, reported performance figures are development-stage specifications and should not be interpreted as an indication of an operational capability currently fielded by the Indian Armed Forces.
The agreement brings together two complementary areas of defence technology. Drogo Aerospace contributes expertise in UAV design and development, while Munitions India brings established capabilities in ammunition, explosives and warhead technologies. This combination could help accelerate the development of integrated unmanned strike systems within India’s domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem.
Munitions India was established in 2021 following the restructuring of the former Ordnance Factory Board into seven new defence public sector undertakings. The company manufactures ammunition, explosives, rockets and bombs for the Indian Armed Forces as well as other customers.
The partnership comes as India continues to expand indigenous capabilities in unmanned warfare and precision strike technologies. Loitering munitions have gained increasing importance in modern conflicts because they can combine persistent surveillance with the ability to engage selected targets. The MIL-Drogo collaboration could therefore provide another pathway for developing such systems domestically while reducing reliance on foreign technologies.
For India’s defence industry, the agreement also highlights the growing role of partnerships between Defence PSUs and private technology companies. By combining established production and munition expertise with newer UAV development capabilities, the collaboration has the potential to support the wider objectives of defence indigenisation and self-reliance.
The next stages of the programme will involve development, UAV-munition integration, safety assessments, trials and certification. Its progress will determine how quickly the jointly developed systems can move from development and testing towards operational validation and potential deployment.