Several international companies have already started vying for the Indian UAV market. Insitu, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Boeing, has provided information about both its ScanEagle and Integrator UAVs, according to a senior Boeing official.

Boeing sees UAVs as a key contributor to Indian homeland security as well. UAVs with greater than 24 hr. endurance enables persistent surveillance for extensive border regions and specific areas of interest, says Mark Kronenberg, vice president for international business development at Boeing Defense, Space and Security.

Rustom 1 photo: India Press Information Bureau