US-origin counter-drone technology is entering India's defence manufacturing ecosystem as the country's armed forces separately develop requirements for kinetic interceptor systems capable of physically neutralising hostile unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The development, reported by The Sunday Guardian, centres on a licensing agreement between American firm Powerus and Indian defence company Paras Defence & Space Technologies.

The Paras-Powerus Agreement

Powerus has granted Paras Defence & Space Technologies exclusive rights to manufacture and commercialise its Guardian interceptor family in India, according to filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The agreement was executed through Powerus subsidiary Tandem Defence LLC, and entitles Paras to domestic manufacturing and commercialisation rights in exchange for a licence fee and a share of net profits from Indian sales.

Powerus describes the Guardian-1 and the upgraded Guardian-2 as 'low-cost, high-speed counterdrone interceptor platforms designed to defeat hostile unmanned aerial threats at scale.' The company has said the technology originated through a partnership formed to commercialise autonomous defence technologies developed in Ukraine and owned by G1 Exploration.

What the Deal Does — and Does Not — Mean

Crucially, the agreement does not indicate that the Guardian interceptor has been selected by the Indian military. Any induction into service would remain subject to the government's standard evaluation and procurement processes. The immediate significance, according to the report, is industrial rather than operational — the deal creates a pathway for local manufacturing of a foreign-origin counter-drone system at a time when demand signals from the Army and Air Force are intensifying.

Indian Military's Evolving Counter-Drone Requirements

In February, the Indian Army issued a request for information (RFI) for up to 45 drone interception systems and 50 drone catcher systems for deployment across plains, deserts, and high-altitude areas. The systems are required to counter low-radar-cross-section drones through kinetic means, including direct impact or proximity detonation.

Earlier this month, the Army also issued a GeM tender for the development of an AI-enabled high-speed interceptor UAV for counter-drone operations. The Indian Air Force has separately sought indigenous solutions capable of detecting, tracking, and neutralising hostile drones.

Strategic Context

The timing of the Paras-Powerus agreement is notable. India's security establishment has been sharpening its counter-drone posture following incidents involving hostile UAVs along sensitive borders. The push for kinetic interceptors — systems that physically destroy or capture drones rather than jam their signals — reflects an acknowledgment that electronic countermeasures alone may be insufficient against modern drone threats deployed at scale.

This comes amid a broader national effort to indigenise defence manufacturing under the Make in India framework, with foreign technology transfer agreements increasingly used as a bridge toward domestic capability. Whether the Guardian platform ultimately clears India's procurement process remains to be seen, but the industrial groundwork is now in place.