India bans Chinese parts in its drones


Delhi has barred (on national security grounds) domestic drone producers from using Chinese parts, according to official documents seen by Reuters.

Officials are worried Beijing could exploit weaknesses in the drones’ cameras, radio transmission and software to gain access to Indian intel.

The move also comes as India seeks to reduce its reliance on imported military kit:

  • 🚀 Domestic production just crossed $12B for the first time, and
  • 💸 Delhi aims to place $100B in domestic orders in the next decade.

Intrigue’s take: The Russo-Ukraine War has made clear that drones are key. So the global military drone market is projected to more than double to $36B by 2030.

Drones are cheap, effective, and easily deployable. And this is exactly why governments like India want to develop domestic advantages, while ringfencing them from rivals.

Also worth noting:

Latest Author Articles
Will Tulsi Gabbard be the next US spymaster?

Trump’s 2.0 cabinet picks were always going to be a source of intrigue, but none quite like Tulsi Gabbard, his nominee for Director of National Intelligence — it’s a job created after the September 2001 terrorist attacks to drive better intel oversight and coordination. Views on Gabbard range from American hero to Russian spy to […]

7 February, 2025
The kidnapping that’s rocked a region 

Imagine this: you’re slamming down that morning Pop-Tart® (frosted apple cinnamon, probably), when you get the call you’ve been waiting for — an opportunity to work on a dream project in Thailand. Your mind instantly runs wild with images of you absolutely chilling on a beach with a cocktail in hand (Sabai Sabai®, probably). Anyway, […]

5 February, 2025
Four global lessons from earnings week

Earnings calls used to be the exclusive domain of cigar-chomping capitalists, perhaps yelling “sell” at some quivering underling off-camera while an old-school ticker-tape hums. But we can confirm cigar-chomping diplomats also now follow this stuff — or should. If you’re willing to sift through the euphemisms and spin, these corporate events are full of insights into how […]

31 January, 2025
Something’s fishy under the Baltic Sea

We’ve long been debating when to brief you on the shenanigans under the Baltic Sea, but another single undersea cable getting severed is never quite enough to beat a dictator’s downfall, a new US president, or a Wall St meltdown. And that’s precisely the point of hybrid warfare: it’s about inflicting pain that’s never quite enough. Any damage to critical […]

29 January, 2025