PARTNERS WITH SHIELD AI, USA TO INVEST US$
90 MILLION IN STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY TO MANUFACTURE MILITARY DRONES
Hyderabad –
JSW Defence Pvt. Ltd., part of the US$ 23 billion JSW Group, today commenced
construction of its facility for the next-generation Unmanned Aerial Systems
(UAS) at EMC Maheshwaram, Hyderabad.
JSW has entered into
a strategic partnership with Shield AI – a leading US-based defence technology
company – to manufacture their Group 3 UAS - VBAT, under a long-term licensing
arrangement for Transfer of Technology (ToT).
As part of the partnership, the
JSW Group will invest around US$ 90 Million to establish JSW’s global
compliance program, a manufacturing facility to ensure proper technology
licensing, and training of manpower. This investment will enable JSW to establish
a local supply chain and create an advanced facility in India for
manufacturing, assembling and testing V-BAT. This effort will enable
large-scale production of V-BATs in India to serve the needs of the Indian
Armed Forces and also function as a global production hub.
The manufacturing
of VBATs at the facility is expected to commence by the last quarter of 2026.
The foundation
stone laying ceremony of the plant was performed by Mr. Parth Jindal of
the JSW Group, in the presence of Shri Duddilla Sridhar Babu, Honourable
Minister for IT, E&C and Industries & Commerce, Telangana, senior officials
from the state government, Shield AI and the Indian Armed Forces.
Mr.
Parth Jindal of JSW Group said,
“Today’s milestone
signals a bold new chapter in India’s journey toward self-reliance in
next-generation defence technologies. Our collaboration with Shield AI reflects
our shared ambition to bring mission-critical, globally benchmarked
capabilities to India and to build an ecosystem that will define the future of
unmanned systems for the nation. From manufacturing the globally renowned V-BAT
at scale, the facility will lay the foundation for an integrated, end-to-end
UAS ecosystem, from advanced manufacturing to operator training, MRO and
sustained innovation. This project stands among the most significant defence
technology transfers to India, and underscores our unwavering commitment to
strengthen the country’s strategic capabilities and establishing India as a
global leader in the unmanned aerial systems domain.”
Mr. Sarjan Shah, Shield AI’s Managing
Director for India, said, “Shield
AI is proud to be working alongside JSW in creating an indigenous production
ecosystem for the V-BAT. The establishment of this world-class facility sets in
motion, the joint vision of the JSW Group and Shield AI to deepen Indo–US
defence collaboration built on trust, transparency and shared strategic
priorities. JSW’s scale, industrial expertise and commitment to building
strategic technologies in India make them an ideal partner for us as we work to
expand the global footprint of the V-BAT.”
The V-BAT is a fixed-wing,
vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), long endurance intelligence,
surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) platform, currently deployed by multiple
armed forces around the world, including the United States’ Marine
Expeditionary Units (MEUs). It provides cutting-edge ISR functionality in a
highly tactical system, capable of being forward deployed in complex and
adversarial territory in order to provide a range of flexible solutions to
special forces, front-line infantry, armoured and artillery units. V-BAT has a
unique patented ducted design with the advantage of a small logistics footprint
and ease of rapid deployment.
This technology is expected to be a game-changer in modern warfare,
significantly elevating the nation’s military unmanned aerial systems prowess.
Aligned with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat,
this initiative will develop and strengthen Telangana’s industrial ecosystem,
creating high-quality employment and reinforcing India’s national security.