The evolving aerial threat landscape — encompassing ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, combat aircraft, and increasingly swarms of armed drones — demands a layered air defence architecture that can simultaneously engage threats at multiple altitudes, ranges, and threat vectors. India's air defence journey, from licence-produced Soviet systems to indigenous development of the Akash surface-to-air missile, tells the story of a nation building strategic self-reliance in this critical domain. The Bharat Defence Tech Show has been at the centre of this story, hosting discussions that shape India's air defence investment priorities.
The S-400 Triumf acquisition from Russia, despite US pressure under CAATSA sanctions, reflected India's pragmatic assessment that no available alternative could match the S-400's combination of range, altitude coverage, and multi-target engagement capability at an acceptable cost within India's procurement timeline. BDTS discussions have examined the integration challenges of operating Russian-origin systems alongside Western-origin and indigenous platforms within a coherent air defence architecture.
The indigenous Akash system, developed by DRDO and produced by BDL and BEL, has matured considerably since its initial induction. The Akash-NG variant, with extended range and improved resistance to electronic jamming, has attracted significant export interest. At BDTS, the industrial ecosystem supporting Akash production — comprising hundreds of MSMEs supplying components from propellants to radar subsystems — has been showcased as a model for indigenous programme management.
Very short-range air defence (VSHORAD) systems capable of defeating drone swarms are an area of intense focus at BDTS. The proliferation of commercially-derived drones as military weapons has exposed gaps in existing air defence architectures optimised for faster and larger aerial targets. BDTS has brought together electronic warfare companies, directed energy weapon developers, and conventional missile system providers to examine integrated solutions.
🌐 Website: www.bharatdefencetechshow.com