Strengthening Drone Defence in India On 17 October 2023, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Drone Federation of India (DFI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at CISF Headquarters in New Delhi. The agreement, witnessed by CD Naik, DIG (Principal) of MPRTC Behror, and Smit Shah, President of DFI, aims to fortify India’s critical infrastructure against emerging aerial threats.
Scope of the Collaboration The MoU outlines a comprehensive partnership that will: - Develop CISF’s Recruit Training Centre (RTC) in Behror into a Centre of Excellence for Drone and Counter‑Drone Systems. - Create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), deployment frameworks, and pilot projects for counter‑drone operations at CISF‑protected sites. - Establish forensic best practices and indigenous tools for analysing rogue drone incidents. - Organise controlled red‑team exercises, joint drills, and dynamic training modules, including student hackathons and challenge programmes.
Impact on National Security CISF currently secures over 370 critical units—including aviation hubs, nuclear installations, space centres, and oil refineries—and has 3,000 personnel trained in drone and anti‑drone protocols. With 80 units actively deploying drones for monitoring and threat detection, the MoU will enhance operational readiness, bridge technology gaps, and promote indigenous innovation in drone defence.
The partnership also opens avenues for Indian drone startups and technology firms to collaborate on research, capacity building, and real‑world testing, thereby advancing a self‑reliant security architecture.