India-made AI anti-drone system is here! Hyderabad innovator’s project against dynamic threats
Indrajaal is engineered to defend against various classes and levels of autonomous drones, covering an impressive area of 4,000 square kilometres.
Indrajaal: An AI based game-changer in security
Highlights
- Grene Robotics introduces an AI-powered 'Indrajaal' anti-drone system
- The system protects vital installations, cities, and nuclear facilities from drone threats
- It can counter various threats, including RCS, MALE, HALE & drones
In its latest expansion strategy, Grene Robotics, a robotics company based in Hyderabad, has introduced a groundbreaking anti-drone system called ‘Indrajaal,’ powered by artificial intelligence (AI). This innovative system is designed to safeguard vital installations such as nuclear facilities and oil rigs, as well as entire cities, from a multitude of drone threats, marking a significant milestone in India's technological advancement.
Indrajaal: India's shield against drone threats
Grene Robotics, a deep-tech firm specialising in AI-driven security solutions for the defence, enterprise, and government sectors, recently showcased the world's only wide-area counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) named ‘Indrajaal.’ This autonomous anti-drone system is capable of offering comprehensive protection against dynamic threats, which static defence systems struggle to handle effectively.
Praise from experts
Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh, former Deputy Chief of Army Staff and current Uttarakhand Governor, praised Indrajaal as a forward-looking solution to India's security challenges. He emphasised the need for such advanced technology, especially in the wake of recent drone attacks.
"We will never forget the 27 June, 2021, drone attack on the Jammu airport and the 15 June Galwan attack. At that time, we wondered what solution we had against drones and swarms. Today, Indrajaal has given us the answer and shown that it is possible."
Indrajaal's innovative design
Kiran Raju, the founder of Grene Robotics, explained that Indrajaal's design is built on a flexible, LEGO-like combination mechanism, incorporating 12 layers of AI-powered technology. The system offers 360-degree protection by detecting, identifying, classifying, tracking, and neutralising threats in real-time, with threat lifetimes as short as 30 seconds to a few minutes.
Addressing concerns about cost, Raju stated, "This system would cost about ₹5 crore, which is a typical capital infrastructure cost to protect what you are building. For example, level 4 data centres have fire protection, and they also need drone protection as part of their capital infrastructure."
AI model made for defence
Indrajaal is engineered to defend against various classes and levels of autonomous drones, covering an impressive area of 4,000 square kilometers. It can counter low radar cross-section (RCS) threats, medium and high-altitude long-endurance (MALE and HALE) UAVs, loitering munitions, smart bombs, rocket showers, nano and micro drones, swarm drones, and more.
Rising drone threats in India
Recent years have witnessed a substantial increase in hostile UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) activity in India, including attempts to drop weapons and contraband and surveil Indian security forces. In 2022 alone, there were 266 reported cases of such activity, highlighting the urgency of robust countermeasures to safeguard national security.
Overcoming limitations
Wing Commander Sai Mallela, co-founder of Grene Robotics, highlighted that current anti-drone deployments have limitations, especially in detecting low-RCS threats close to the ground. Existing point defence systems rely on physical sighting, whereas drones are agile and mobile targets. Indrajaal overcomes these limitations with its advanced AI technology.
A vision for India's security
The creators of Indrajaal are confident that their system can safeguard large defence bases, critical regions like the National Capital Region (NCR), international borders, and even VIP movements or large crowds, providing protection against UAVs, low-RCS missiles, smart munitions, and swarm drones.
With Indrajaal's cutting-edge technology, India takes a significant stride towards safeguarding its vital assets and enhancing national security in an increasingly drone-centric world.
