JSW Defence ties up with Shield AI to manufacture military unmanned systems

Wed Nov 13 07:08:24 UTC 2024: ## JSW Group and Shield AI Partner to Manufacture Unmanned Aerial Systems in India

**MUMBAI, INDIA -** JSW Defence Pvt. Ltd. and US defense technology company Shield AI Inc. have announced a strategic partnership to manufacture and indigenize Shield AI’s “V-BAT”, a Group 3 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) in India. The partnership marks a significant step towards strengthening India’s defense capabilities and bringing world-class UAS technology to the country.

JSW Group will invest approximately $90 million over the next two years, with an initial investment of $65 million in the first year. This investment will be used to establish JSW’s global compliance program, build a manufacturing facility, ensure proper technology licensing, and train personnel. The goal is to create a local supply chain and an advanced facility in India for manufacturing, assembling, and testing V-BAT aircraft.

The V-BAT is a fixed-wing, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) platform with long endurance capabilities. It is currently deployed by multiple armed forces around the world, including the US Marine Expeditionary Units. The system provides cutting-edge intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) functionality, making it ideal for deployment in complex and adversarial environments.

Parth Jindal of JSW Group stated that the collaboration is aligned with their commitment to bring mission-critical technologies to the Indian Armed Forces and play a key role in indigenizing defense technology in India. The partnership will enable large-scale production of V-BATs in India, catering to the needs of the Indian Armed Forces while also positioning India as a global production hub for Shield AI.

Sarjan Shah, Shield AI’s Managing Director for India, highlighted the importance of the partnership in deepening and expanding India’s indigenous capabilities in the field of military unmanned systems. This collaboration is a testament to the growing defense cooperation between the US and India, aimed at creating a closely integrated defense supply chain.