DECEMBER 20258TELANGANA UNVEILS BIG PLANS TO EMERGE AS INDIA'S DEFENSE HUBJSW TEAMS WITH SHIELD AI TO PRODUCE ADVANCED VBAT DRONES IN HYDERABADTelangana's Defense Hub ambitions moved a step closer today. The state declared significant intentions to develop a strong platform of unmanned systems and high tech defense production.Minister D SridharBabu said the government is drafting a detailed roadmap to make Telangana a global leader in defense innovation, focusing on unmanned aerial systems, drone technology, and aerospace production.JSW has taken a major step into advanced defence manufacturing with a new strategic partnership with Shield AI to produce the VBAT Group 3 Unmanned Aerial System in India.Announced today, the long-term licensing deal brings full technology transfer to the country, marking a strong push toward local defense capability and global-scale production.As part of the agreement, the JSW Group will invest USD 90 million to build a global compliance programme, a dedicated manufacturing hub, and a skilled workforce to support the VBAT line.In the bhumi puja ceremony to be held to start the next JSW UAV plant in the Electronic Manufacturing Cluster close to Hyderabad, the IT and Industries Minister pointed out that the state was developing infrastructure that could be used to support modern warfare. In a press release, he said that the ecosystem will be designed to meet the next-generation technologies and future defense requirements.In this plan, it will establish a special drone production and testing zone to enhance local capacity. According to the minister, the frontline operations are currently run by drones, satellites, cyber systems, and AI, and this made self-sufficiency in the manufacture of drones vital in the national security in the current geopolitical environment.He observed that the market of India in defense UAV and drones is set to expand to 4.45 billion by 2030. Telangana has optimized this increase by establishing a global production, research and innovation hub. These efforts and a consistent policy drive make the government confident that the Telangana Defense Hub will attract long-term investment and help India in its stance in strategic technologies. The company said this investment will help set up a reliable local supply chain and create an advanced manufacturing facility, assembling and testing the VBAT. The goal is to meet the needs of the Indian armed forces while positioning India as a worldwide production base for the drone.Construction of the new plant has begun at EMC Maheshwaram in Hyderabad, led by JSW Defense Pvt Ltd. The company expects VBAT manufacturing to start by the last quarter of 2026. The foundation stone was laid by Parth Jindal in the presence of Telangana Industries Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu, senior state officials, Shield AI executives and representatives from the Indian armed forces."Today's milestone signals a bold new chapter in India's journey toward self-reliance in next-generation defense 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," Jindal said.Sarjan Shah, Managing Director for India at Shield AI, said the upcoming world-class facility advances the joint vision to strengthen Indo­US defense ties. "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," he said. TOP STORIESTOP STORIESTOP STORIES
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