Grene Robotics from India unveils Indrajaa first Indian AI-powered anti-drone system.

As reported by Uma Sudhir on ndtv.com, an Indian robotics company headquartered in Hyderabad has introduced an innovative self-governing anti-drone technology system enhanced by artificial intelligence. This marks the maiden development of such a solution within India.
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Named "Indrajaal," this technology stands as the world's sole wide-ranging Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (Picture source: screenshot from NDTV)

Grene Robotics, a cutting-edge firm specializing in AI-driven security solutions for government, defense, and enterprise sectors, successfully demonstrated the capabilities of this comprehensive drone security system on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Named "Indrajaal," this technology stands as the world's sole wide-ranging Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS). Indrajaal's remarkable attribute lies in its ability to furnish an all-encompassing and interconnected security mechanism, effectively combating mobile threats that surpass static defense systems.

Lt. Gen. Gurmit Singh, the Governor of Uttarakhand and former Deputy Chief of Army Staff from 2014 to 2016, envisions Indrajaal as a forward-looking resolution to India's security challenges, spanning defense, public infrastructure, and private sectors. In his words, "We remember the June 27, 2021 drone attack on Jammu airport and the June 15 Galwan attack. During those times, we pondered over the absence of a solution against drones and swarms. Today, Indrajaal offers us a solution and demonstrates its feasibility."

Kiran Raju, the visionary founder of Grene Robotics, which established itself 12 years ago, elucidates that Indrajaal's conceptualization incorporates a modular mechanism reminiscent of Lego blocks, incorporating 12 distinct layers of AI-powered technology. Raju details, "The system ensures 360-degree protection, encompassing the capacity to instantaneously detect, identify, categorize, trail, and neutralize threats. Threats' lifespan can be as brief as 30 seconds or extend over a few minutes."

Indrajaal's design primarily addresses all types and levels of independent drones across a sprawling 4,000 km² expanse. Wing Commander Sai Mallela, a co-founder of Grene Robotics and a pivotal contributor to the development of the Integrated Air Command and Control System for the Indian Air Force, underlines Indrajaal's prowess: "From low radar cross-section (RCS) threats to medium and high-altitude long endurance (MALE and HALE) UAVs, loitering munitions, smart bombs, rocket barrages, nano and micro drones, swarm drones, and more, we have every facet accounted for." Wing Commander Sai Mallela has also played a critical role in orchestrating substantial import substitution for the armed forces.

Lt. Col. Gurmit Singh, with his extensive background overseeing units along the Line of Control in Kashmir and substantial involvement in border matters and counter-terrorism, emphasizes the escalating hostile UAV activities in India over the past years. This includes endeavors to drop contraband across the borders into Jammu and Punjab territories, as well as missions to surveil Indian security forces.

In 2020, India recorded 76 incidents of adversarial UAV activity, a number that surged to 109 in 2021 and further to 266 in 2022. The initial eight months of 2023 witnessed 200 reported cases, underscoring the imperative for heightened vigilance and counteractive measures to safeguard national security.

Kiran Raju anticipates a future marked by considerable drone engagements, with approximately 95% being non-hostile. He assures, "Indrajaal is proficient in distinguishing friend from foe."

Discussing costs, Raju elucidates, "Compared to the expense of constructing the Telangana secretariat at ₹ 200-300 crore, this system would amount to around ₹ 5 crore. This financial outlay is standard for safeguarding constructed structures. For instance, level 4 data centers incorporate fire protection, and in a similar vein, drone protection becomes an integral part of capital infrastructure."

Wing Commander Sai Mallela highlights the limitations of current deployments, as isolated systems lack scalability and practicality. "Radar-only detections prove inaccurate for low radar cross-sections (RCS) and proximity to the ground. Identifying the operational radio frequency remains beyond their capabilities."

Furthermore, jamming merely causes delays in attacks rather than deterring them. Laser weaponry necessitates substantial, stationary targets, while no countermeasure exists to mitigate swarm attacks. Existing anti-UAV systems reliant on point defense and physical sighting face challenges when dealing with moving drone targets.

Defense News September 2023