Indian Army receives Ajeet-series UAVs for surveillance roles

Zuppa has supplied an undisclosed number of units of its Ajeet Mini Hawk surveillance UAV to the Indian Army. (Zuppa)

Chennai-based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer Zuppa Geo Navigation Technologies (Zuppa) has supplied the Indian Army with multiple variants of its Ajeet-series UAVs, capable of surveillance and configurable for strike or counter-UAV roles.

Zuppa announced on 13 April that it has supplied more than 500 UAVs to the Indian Army since January. The company said the UAVs were evaluated by the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) Directorate prior to deployment to ensure cybersecure and resilient operations.

Speaking to Janes on 13 April, Venkatesh Sai, Zuppa's founder and technical director, said the deliveries included the Ajeet Mini Shikra, Ajeet Mini Hawk, Ajeet Eagle, and Ajeet Baza UAVs. He said all variants can be deployed for surveillance missions, while and the Mini Shikra, Mini Hawk, and Eagle can also be customised to carry explosives for strike missions or to intercep hostile UAVs.

Sai said that alongside the UAVs, Zuppa has supplied its NavGati Autopilot software to mitigate hacking, software to enable secure swarm UAV operations, and a laboratory for UAV training. According to Zuppa, NavGati can detect threats including unauthorised attempts to control a UAV in real-time, block such activity, and provide dual-frequency GPS for position accuracy.

Sai added that Indian Army units operating under the Northern Command and Eastern Command have expressed interest in procuring additional Zuppa systems in 2026.

Sai previously told Janes that the Indian Army deployed Ajeet Mini Hawk during the India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025 “for minor reconnaissance roles within our borders”.