The new battlefield landscape is being quickly reshaped by the increasing incidence of a variety of threats and the emergence of advanced conventional weapons. Against this evolving backdrop, DEWs have also come under significant eye as game-changers, offering novel capabilities to counter emerging threats like the spread of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), advanced missiles, and the potential for hypersonic weapons development. Realizing this strategic imperative, India has progressively focused on indigenous development of DEW technologies to maintain a technological edge and ensure national security in the 21st century. This indigenous capability in critical defence technologies is compelled by the need to address particular security challenges and reduce dependency on foreign sources for cutting-edge military hardware.
DRDO’s Core Programs in Laser and Directed Energy Technology:
India’s quest for directed energy weapons is being driven primarily by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which has established expert centres and initiated ambitious projects to develop indigenous capability in this new and cutting-edge technology field.
- Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS), Hyderabad: R&D Hub
- The Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS) in Hyderabad is the DRDO flagship laboratory committed to the research and development of directed energy technologies. This research center is committed to a broad spectrum of DEW technologies like lasers, microwave weapons, and the critical beam control systems needed for their effective deployment. CHESS DRDO is at the forefront of India’s attempt at indigenously developing high-energy laser weapons, having a critical role to play in leading the research and development of key programs like the DURGA II program and the development of the MK series of laser DEWs. As a reflection of today’s war being complex, CHESS is heavily involved in the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced tracking systems into its DEW programs. The incorporation is aimed at enhancing the performance of these weapons, enabling automatic detection of targets, accurate tracking, and optimal neutralization of threats in the fast-evolving battlefield. The successful testing of the MK 2(A) vehicle-mounted laser directed energy weapon in April 2025, designed by CHESS, is an indication of the center’s key role in India’s pursuit of self-sustaining high-energy laser capabilities.
- Project DURGA II (Directionally Unrestricted Ray-Gun Array):
- Project DURGA II, or Directionally Unrestricted Ray-Gun Array, is a major ongoing project of the DRDO aimed at creating a light weight directed energy weapon with a substantial 100-kilowatt capability. The final mission of the ambitious project is to arm the Indian military with sophisticated technology capable of addressing a wide gamut of threats, from drones and missiles to artillery shells. DURGA II also aims to facilitate the fielding of high-energy directed weapons on multiple military platforms, such as fighter aircraft, ships, and ground vehicles, thereby providing a general-purpose defence capability spanning all domains. In March 2021, media reports indicated that the DURGA II project was still in its conceptual phase, with the DRDO seeking a whopping outlay of $100 million to speed up its development. While the history of the DURGA project starts in the early 2000s, with very little progress being recorded until 2008, the past two years have seen a renewed interest and momentum. On completion, DURGA II could very well be India’s most advanced laser weapon system, considerably enhancing its strategic defence capability.
- The Rise of Legacy Laser Programs:
- The Mk-II(A) (Shahastra Shakti) was a landmark in India’s directed energy weapons programme in April 2025, when the test demonstration of this laser-directed energy weapon was successfully tested. This excellent 30-kilowatt, vehicle-mounted system, developed indigenously by CHESS DRDO, has been found to be capable of destroying different aerial targets, such as fixed-wing drones, swarm drones, and surveillance sensors, at ranges of up to 5 kilometers. Dubbed the Shahastra Shakti, the Mk-II(A) features six 5kW laser beams and has been fitted with state-of-the-art electronic warfare capabilities and a 360-degree Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor for precise targeting. Already in the process of trials, the system should become operational within the next two years. Looking ahead, the DRDO works tirelessly to develop next-generation variants of this laser weapon, with power outputs ranging from 50 to 100 kilowatts. These future-generation variants are designed to defeat advanced targets such as cruise missiles, fighter aircraft, and artillery rounds and thus significantly add to India’s directed energy weapons capability.
- Surya, a constituent of India’s High-Power Laser Initiatives, is a landmark in high-power laser technology by virtue of its ambitious project. This high-powered weapon, with a whopping 300-kilowatt output, can function efficiently at a distance of 20 kilometers. Built specifically to detect and destroy high-speed aerial targets, Surya targets missiles and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) with phenomenal accuracy. To be operational in 2027, this cutting-edge high-energy laser system is designed for integration into air defence systems, as well as border units deployed in mobile configuration, thus greatly improving India’s rapid-response capabilities against advanced airborne threats. As one of the most advanced directed energy weapons being developed globally, Project Surya demonstrates India’s commitment to establishing a frontline position in high-power laser technology for strategic defence applications.
- The Kilo Ampere Linear Injector, or KALI, is DRDO’s entry into the field of directed-energy weapons, alongside the conventional laser technology. Co-developed with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, this trailblazing project has given rise to a linear electron accelerator, described as having formidable directed-energy weapon potential. KALI generates high-intensity electron pulses, which can be translated into electromagnetic radiation in the form of X-ray or microwave frequencies. One of its applications in defence is as a high-power microwave gun, designed to destroy incoming aircraft and missiles with a “soft-kill” system that disables their sensitive electronic systems. The KALI project started in 1989, with the production of different versions over the years, such as the KALI-5000, which was commissioned in late 2004. Besides its applications in weapons, KALI has been used for different scientific and research purposes, such as research in ballistics using X-ray emissions, research into electromagnetic phenomena using microwave emissions, and testing the vulnerability of electronic systems in aircraft such as the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
The Increasing Role of the Indian Private Sector in Directed Energy:
In recent years, the Indian private sector has been a strong player in the development and manufacture of cutting-edge defence technologies like directed energy weapons, supplementing the efforts made by DRDO and other government agencies.
- Adani Defence & Aerospace: Contributions to Counter-Drone Technology
- Adani Defence & Aerospace has made a major entry into the directed energy space through a co-development partnership with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). At Aero India 2025, the two companies proudly launched a Vehicle-Mounted Counter-Drone System. The advanced system includes a high-energy laser carefully designed for the precise elimination of hostile drones. In addition to the laser system, the platform comes with a 7.62 mm gun, allowing it to tackle a broader range of air threats. To provide end-to-end threat detection and surveillance, the platform has a complement of cutting-edge technologies such as high-capability radar, signals intelligence (SIGINT), electro-optical (EO) sensors, and jamming. Coupled with all these advanced technologies, long-range detection is supported, its operating capability going as far as 10 kilometers, thereby guaranteeing the agility and accuracy required to neutralize the dynamically changing asymmetrical threats coming from drones.
- Tonbo Imaging: Infrared and High-Power Microwave System Advances
- Tonbo Imaging, a Bengaluru-based defence technology company, has emerged as a driving force of innovation in the directed energy space with an emphasis on next-generation infrared sensors, high-power microwave (HPM) technology, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions for defence. With a spotlight on its growth and prospects, the company managed to raise ₹175 crore in a pre-IPO Series D round. A large portion of this capital is intended to scale up their directed energy solutions, to improve their high-power microwave technologies, as well as to strengthen the company’s global expansion drive. Continuing to shed light on their journey, Tonbo Imaging introduced “Wavestrike,” an HPM-based Directed Energy Weapon (DEW), in Aero India 2025. The innovative system received much attention and has already garnered international orders with militaries outside the Asia-Pacific region. Wavestrike is developed as a mobile and rapidly deployable system that can disrupt or disable the electronic systems of hostile unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other electronic targets. It achieves this using high-power microwaves, in addition to sophisticated search and track radars and an electro-optical (EO) targeting system.
- Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL): Production and Joint Ventures
- Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a well-known pillar of India’s defence public sector undertakings, plays a vital role in spearheading the nation’s efforts towards directed energy weapons. Charged with the production and supply of a range of DEW systems of the DRDO, such as the laser-based anti-drone system, BEL exemplifies the robust coordination between the government’s research wing and its manufacturing counterpart. In an unprecedented collaboration with CHESS DRDO, BEL is producing the “Multi-kilo Watt Beam Directing Optical Channel”, a foundational and sophisticated unit essential for any high-power laser DEW system. Besides this, BEL is actively engaged in the development and design of laser dazzlers for the Indian Navy, which are a non-lethal yet potent deterrent of suspicious vehicles, aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles from entering secured zones. Demonstrating its in-house proficiency in this emerging technology space, BEL has even designed and developed a 2kW Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) System intended to specifically counter the emerging threat of drones and UAVs.
- Big Bang Boom Solutions: Native Directed Energy Anti-Drone Weapon System Design
- Big Bang Boom Solutions (BBBS), a rapidly emerging defence technology startup based in Chennai, is rapidly gaining prominence in shaping India’s directed energy weapon capabilities, particularly with its indigenous anti-drone solution focus. BBBS has just released “Vajra Strike,” a revolutionary AI-powered direct energy weapon system carefully designed to counter airborne threats, particularly drones. Vajra Strike has highly focused beams of energy, along with an advanced artificial intelligence system that enables precise detection and effective neutralization of drone threats. BBBS has an impressive record in the defence space, having successfully bagged a major contract worth ₹200 crore with the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army for its “Vajra Sentinel” anti-drone system. BBBS has also presented its indigenous Anti Drone Defence System (ADDS) to the Indian Air Force with pride, reflecting its commitment to providing homegrown solutions for neutralizing airborne threats.
- Paras Defence & Space Technologies: Dedicated to Anti-Drone Laser Solutions
- Paras Defence & Space Technologies has become a champion in India’s private sector directed energy weapon industry, with a specific focus on creating cutting-edge anti-drone laser systems. The firm has just received a huge order worth Rs 142.31 crore from DRDO’s Centre for High Defence Systems & Sciences (CHESS) to develop a high-power anti-drone laser system. It entails designing a critical laser source module, and integrating it into an advanced beam control system, and mounting it all on a mobile platform. The planned applications of the system are the countermeasures against drones and UAVs, as well as missiles, thus showcasing the versatility of the technology. Paras Defence is proud to be the first Indian organization to be working on such an advanced project in this domain.
Military Applications of Indigenous Laser and Directed Energy Weapons
- Countering Swarms and Drones: The main push is countering UAVs and drone swarms, which are becoming more prevalent in asymmetric warfare. DRDO’s achievement in the trial of the 30kW Mk-II(A) laser in April 2025 against fixed-wing and swarm drones is a landmark. Simultaneously, the private sector is also developing laser and high-power microwave-based counter-drone systems by companies like Adani Defence, Tonbo Imaging, Big Bang Boom Solutions, and Paras Defence. The Indian Army is considering deploying these laser-based counter drone systems on the borders.
- Missile Defence: DRDO is also developing high-energy laser systems such as the Surya (300kW) for potential use against incoming missile threats, including interception in the mid-course or terminal stages. Project DURGA II also has similar objectives with scalable laser technologies. The KALI program also examines high-power microwave systems that are intended to destroy missile electronics, thus presenting yet another non-kinetic element in missile defence.
- Electronic Warfare and Counter-Space Capability: KALI’s particle beam and EMP technologies pave the way to future applications to jam the enemy’s radar, guidance, and communications systems. Long-term capabilities include anti-satellite (ASAT) missions, in accordance with general world trends in counter-space weapons.
- Platform-Wide Integration: India is seeking to integrate DEWs across all its principal military platforms. DRDO and the services are testing vehicle-mounted lasers like the Mk-II(A) and Adani’s mobile C-UAS systems for deployment on land. The integration of miniaturized lasers on naval vessels and combat aircraft is also under consideration, with the Indian Navy being particularly keen on DEW integration aboard capital ships, including future aircraft carriers.
Challenges and the Way Ahead for India’s DEW Initiatives:
India’s coming up with directed strength guns can be extremely promising; however, much remains to be completed before the structures are fully integrated into conflict machines.
- Scaling Power and Portability: Allowing the excess energies needed for the neutralization of next-generation threats such as cruise and hypersonic missiles will require revolutionary improvements in strength scaling, miniaturized strength assets, and thermal management to enable simultaneous operation on cell and air substrates.
- Beating environmental borders: Laser efficiency usually fails by fog, rain, dust and climate factors made of contaminants. To combat atmospheric intervention, the state -of -the -art beam management system is a requirement, especially in areas with harsh or dangerous climate patterns such as Himalayas.
- Accuracy tracking and engagement: DEST seeks quick, accurate target detection. It asks for the fusion of state-of-the-art EO/IR sensor, radar design, and real-time tracking and discrimination, especially in the complex, multi-scorching environment.
- Strengthening indigenous ecosystems: Continuous growth rests on a strong home industry and innovation ecosystem. DRDO, private sector, and academics should work more intensely, using the applications of the authorities as well as iDEX, and to drive TOT to drive R&D, encourage innovation and achieve real self-reliance in advanced defence technology.
India’s Progress in Directed Energy Weapons and Their Strategic Implications
India has taken significant leaps in indigenous development of laser and directed energy weapon programs, declaring its emergence as a key player in this cutting-edge domain of military technology. Successful testing of the 30kW Mk-II(A) laser weapon system, Sahastra Shakti, and continuous research and development in more advanced systems like the 300kW Surya laser are the pointers towards increased capabilities in India in the domain of directed energy technologies. Particularly, the increased involvement of the private sector — with prominent actors like Adani Defence & Aerospace, Tonbo Imaging, Bharat Electronics Limited, Big Bang Boom Solutions, and Paras Defence — point to a wider trend towards indigenous development of directed energy weapon systems and critical subsystems. All of these are of significant strategic interest to the defence strategy of India, particularly in the countermeasure against rising drone threats, augmenting conventional missile defence capabilities, and augmenting capabilities in electronic warfare and prospective anti-satellite missions as well. Scheduled deployment of directed energy weapons on land, in the air, and on naval ships further points to their game-changing value in India’s future military actions.
Despite the sweeping advances achieved, there are still issues in achieving the projected power outputs and ranges, overcoming the effects of atmospheric interference, designing robust tracking and targeting systems, and possessing a robust and independent indigenous manufacturing capability. However, the unrelenting efforts and dedication towards indigenous progress, coupled with the escalating cooperation among governments and private sectors, demonstrate an irrepressible trend.
