Hyderabad-Based Grene Robotics Unveils India's First AI-Powered Anti-Drone System

For the first time in the country, a state-of-the-art autonomous anti-drone system, powered by artificial intelligence, that can protect not just vital installations like nuclear installations and oil rigs but a wide area encompassing even an entire city, from multiple drones of any kind.

This advanced full-spectrum drone security system capability was demonstrated live on the outskirts of Hyderabad by Grene Robotics, a deep-tech company specialising in providing AI-driven security solutions for defence, enterprise and government sectors. 

Named Indrajaal, this is said to be not just India's but the world's only wide area Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS), that can provide a comprehensive and integrated security mechanism against moving threats that cannot be tackled with static defence systems.

Uttarakhand Governor Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh, who served as deputy chief of Army Staff between 2014 and 2016, sees Indrajaal as a futuristic answer in India's security landscape for defence, public infrastructure and private sectors.

"We will never forget the June 27, 2021, drone attack on Jammu airport and the June 15 Galwan attack. At that time, we thought what solution do we have against the drone and swarm? Today Indrajaal has given us the answers and shown it is possible," the governor said.

Indrajaal's design uses a LEGO-block like combination mechanism that offers 12 unique layers of technology powered by artificial intelligence, said Kiran Raju, founder of Grene Robotics established 12 years ago.

"The system gives 360-degree protection, with the ability to detect, identify, classify, track and swiftly neutralise threats in real time, where the threat-life itself may be as small as 30 seconds to a couple of minutes," he said.

Indrajaal is designed to defend all classifications and levels of autonomous drones over as much as 4,000 square kilometers.

"From low RCS (Radar Cross Section) threats to medium and high-altitude long endurance (MALE & HALE) UAVs, loitering munitions, smart bombs, rocket showers, nano and micro drones, swarm drones and more, we have it all covered," said Wing Commander Sai Mallela, co-founder of Grene Robotics, who had earlier helped develop the Integrated Air Command and Control System for the Indian Air force, to adopt network-based operations, and also helped orchestrate a multi-million dollar import substitution for the forces.

Lt Col Gurmit Singh, who has headed units that overlooked the Line of Control in Kashmir, and has also worked in border issues and counter-terrorism, points out that in the last couple of years, India has encountered significant surge in hostile UAV activity, like attempts to drop weapons, money and narcotics, across the border into Jammu and Punjab regions, and also missions for surveillance of Indian security forces.

In 2020, 76 such cases were reported, 109 in 2021 and 266 in 2022. Just in the last eight months of 2023, some 200 cases were reported, drawing attention to the need for heightened vigilance and counter-measures to safeguard national security.

Kiran Raju says in the near future, we are going to see a lot of drone activity and 95 per cent will be friendly drones than threats. "So Indrajaal can identify friendly drones versus foes."

On the cost, Kiran Raju says," If I am building Telangana secretariat for 200- 300 crore, this system would cost about Rs 5 crore, typical capital infrastructure cost to protect what you are building. Data centres, for example, level four data centre has fire protection, they need drone protection too as part of capital infrastructure."

Current deployment has its limitations as stand-alone systems are not scalable and not even practical, according to Wing Commander Sai Mallela. "Only radar-based detections are inaccurate at low RCS and close to the ground. They are even incapable of identifying the operating radio frequency."

Besides, jamming can only delay and not stop an attack. Laser weapons require a large non-moving target and there is no countermeasure to mitigate a swarm attack. Existing point defence-based anti-UAV systems rely on physical sighting, whereas drones are a moving target. 

The makers of Indrajaal are confident that their system can protect large defence bases, areas like the National Capital Region that has several critical buildings, international borders, prevent attacks during VIP movement or huge crowds, against UAVs, low RCS missiles, smart munitions and even swarm drones.

"A simple refinery oil field could be spread over 300-400 sq km. To deploy a single system over that framework is the uniqueness of this system that ensures with no conflict of command and control, because there is a single decision centre. That itself is a huge benefit of operation and also in terms of command control and costs. We are hugely indigenous and that itself is a significant step," Mallela said.