The city-based Solar Industries India Limited (SIL) has secured a supply order from the Indian Army for its indigenous loiter munition named 'Nagastra-1', despite tough competition from both international and domestic players. The weapon, which was showcased at the Army Commanders' Conference in New Delhi, has been developed by Economics Explosives Ltd (EEL), a subsidiary of Solar Industries Nagpur, in collaboration with Z-Motion, Bangalore.

Rear Admiral Sanjay Misra (Retd), President (Business Development) of Solar Industries India Limited, highlighted the world-class features of Nagastra-1. The loiter munition is capable of neutralizing threats with GPS-enabled precision strike accuracy of 2 meters. It is a fixed-wing electric unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with an endurance of 60 minutes, a man-in-loop range of 15 km, and an autonomous mode range of 30 km. Equipped with day-night surveillance cameras and a fragmentation warhead to defeat soft-skin targets, Nagastra-1 also has the ability to be called back and make a soft landing with a parachute recovery mechanism for reuse in case a target is not detected or the mission is aborted.

Drone technology has proven to be a force multiplier in military operations, as evidenced by its application in recent conflicts worldwide, including Armenia-Azerbaijan, Syria, strikes on oilfields in Saudi Arabia, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. In the Indian context, there has been a noticeable increase in drone-related incidents along the northern borders due to recent incidents. Solar Industries has taken the initiative to develop a wide array of weaponized drones, including gravity drop bombs, guided missiles, and kamikaze mode, where the aircraft is used for suicidal missions by crashing it with explosives.

The growing participation of private industries in the manufacture of armament and ammunition is a significant boost to the concept of 'Aatma Nirbharta' (self-reliance) in the armed forces. The development and manufacture of world-class weapons like Nagastra-1 by private industry is a major achievement for the country, showcasing India's capabilities in indigenous defense manufacturing.