Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 31 (ANI): At a time when the Indian armed forces are looking to buy 87 medium-altitude long-endurance drones, Indian defence major Larsen & Toubro and American General Atomics have tied up to build these drones in India.

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and US-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) on Friday announced that they have entered into a strategic partnership to build these drones in the country.

Under this partnership, L&T will participate in the upcoming 87 MALE RPAS programme of the Ministry of Defence, where L&T will be the prime bidder and GA-ASI the technology partner. The collaboration will enable the production of GA-ASI's MQ-series RPAS that are combat-proven. These are widely operational across the globe with millions of flight hours in surveillance and strike missions.

The partnership marks a significant milestone in India's pursuit of a self-reliant defence ecosystem, strengthening Indo-US defence collaboration and fostering a competitive, globally integrated aerospace manufacturing base.

Commenting on the development, S N Subrahmanyan, Chairman & Managing Director, L&T, said: 'This partnership offers India a unique opportunity to manufacture state-of-the-art unmanned platforms indigenously. We are proud to join hands with GA-ASI, a recognised world leader in this domain, and are confident that this alliance will significantly enhance India's defence capabilities and advance self-reliance in aerospace technologies.'

Dr Vivek Lall, Chief Executive, General Atomics Global Corporation, said: 'We are honored to serve the Indian market in partnership with Larsen & Toubro, a trusted and capable leader in India's defence sector. This collaboration exemplifies our commitment to supporting India's vision for self-reliance and indigenous manufacturing in aerospace. By combining GA-ASI's proven technology with L&T's robust manufacturing expertise, we aim to deliver cutting-edge MALE RPAS solutions that will enhance the operational readiness of the Indian armed forces and contribute to a strong, sustainable defence ecosystem in India.'

At a time when Operation Sindoor against Pakistan is still ongoing, India is looking to fast-track the project for acquiring 87 medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drones to further enhance its surveillance capabilities over both sea and land borders.

A tri-service proposal of around Rs 20,000 crore, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the lead, is expected to be discussed by the Defence Ministry at a high-level meeting soon. (ANI)