- Homegrown tactical UAV to feature at India’s 77th Republic Day Parade
- Showcase underscores growing role of private industry in defence indigenisation
- ZOLT built for electronic warfare, GNSS-denied and high-threat battlefields
- ideaForge strengthens innovation edge with 52 granted patents and 100 global filings
NE DEFENCE BUREAU
NEW DELHI, JAN 24
In a strong statement of India’s push towards self-reliance in defence with active private sector participation, ZOLT, the indigenous tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by ideaForge Technology Limited, will be showcased at the 77th Republic Day Parade, spotlighting the country’s rapidly maturing domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem.
A multi-role tactical UAV, ZOLT has been designed for long-range Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions as well as precision payload delivery, reflecting India’s growing capability to design and deploy mission-critical defence platforms domestically. The showcase comes as ideaForge further strengthens its intellectual property base, with 100 global patent applications filed, marking a defining milestone in its innovation journey.
As electronic warfare becomes a defining feature of modern battlefields, India’s defence UAV ecosystem is evolving rapidly to address emerging operational challenges. ZOLT is among the platforms driving this transformation. Engineered for high-threat, high-altitude and signal-contested environments, the UAV offers robust Electronic Counter-Countermeasures (ECCM), including GNSS-denied autonomy and strong resilience against communication jamming.
ZOLT is capable of adapting seamlessly across diverse mission profiles—from counter-insurgency and border surveillance to tactical strike operations. Its VTOL capability allows take-off and landing in challenging terrain while retaining the endurance advantages of a fixed-wing platform. Reinforcing its operational relevance, ideaForge has recently received a ₹75-crore procurement order from the Indian Army for the tactical UAV, ZOLT.
The Republic Day showcase also highlights the growing contribution of Indian private defence manufacturers to national security. ideaForge’s expanding intellectual property portfolio includes 52 granted patents and 48 applications under examination, spanning critical technology domains such as autopilot and control systems, GNSS-denied navigation, electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) payloads, radio and data transmission, airframe design, batteries, motors and propellers, and advanced software stacks—underscoring deep in-house R&D capabilities.
Says Ankit Mehta, CEO and Co-founder, ideaForge Technology Ltd, “This is yet another proud moment for us, as our products are being showcased at the 77th Republic Day parade as a part of indigenous growing defence capabilities. Our core has always been to consistently invest in developing in-house technology to create sustainable solutions for our customers. In this quest, it is imperative to always be ahead of the curve to remain relevant by pre-empting the market and future needs to deliver an operational edge.”
Highlighting the strategic importance of innovation and autonomy, he added, “Today, we have built a strong patent portfolio in UAV space, our extensive focus in defence pushes the team to deliver the highest levels of performance, autonomy, resilience and reliability in the harshest operating environments. Our tactical UAV platform, ZOLT, is rooted in the same philosophy and is already emerging as the leader with immense capability, thus resulting in strong demand. We believe in identifying the imminent capability gaps and translating them into mission-ready solutions for our customers.”
The presence of ZOLT at the Republic Day Parade stands as a powerful symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence, showcasing how Indian private enterprises are increasingly becoming key pillars of the nation’s military preparedness and technological sovereignty.
