India’s New Drone War: From Bhargavastra to Lasers and Microwaves The battlefield is getting smaller, cheaper and increasingly difficult to see. A drone costing a fraction of a conventional missile can now threaten soldiers, vehicles, radar installations and critical infrastructure. Worse, several drones can arrive together in a swarm, forcing defenders to solve an awkward mathematical problem: how do you stop dozens of inexpensive flying machines without spending a fortune shooting each one down? India’s answer in 2026 is increasingly becoming a layered one. From the vehicle-mounted Bhargavastra counter-swarm system to the 30-kilowatt Sahastra Shakti laser and DRDO’s new SHIELD high-power microwave programme, India is exploring different ways of defeating the drone threat. And then there is the rather important twist: India is simultaneously developing drones capable of striking targets deep inside contested territory. In other words, the drone race is no longer simply about building better drones. It is about building the technology to find them, confuse them, disable them or destroy them—and, when necessary, use similar technology offensively. Bhargavastra: when jamming isn’t enough One of the most interesting developments is Bhargavastra, developed by Solar Defence and Aerospace Ltd. (SDAL), a subsidiary of Solar Industries India. In July 2026,