Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and US-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) have announced a partnership to manufacture Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drones in India, marking a key shift from imports to local production.
The move comes a year after India signed a $3.8 billion deal for 31 MQ-9B Sea/SkyGuardian drones, with discussions now underway for 87 more.
Under the agreement, L&T will act as the prime bidder for the Ministry of Defence's upcoming MALE RPAS programme, while General Atomics will serve as the technology partner. The MQ-series drones will be built entirely in India, with critical technology transfers and key components manufactured locally, not merely assembled.
The partnership brings together GA-ASI's proven expertise from its Predator and Reaper platforms with L&T's precision engineering experience across defence, nuclear, and space sectors. If executed as planned, the collaboration could finally position India as a credible producer of long-endurance, combat-capable drones.
Shares of Larsen & Toubro jumped about one per cent after the announcement of the partnership with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc, reflecting investor confidence.