Dr Vivek Lall highlights India-US defence co-development opportunities, calls for deeper technology partnerships

By Aroonim Bhuyan

New Delhi. Dr Vivek Lall, Chief Executive Officer of General Atomics Global Corporation, has highlighted the importance of India-US defence co-development partnerships in strengthening India’s indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities and creating a globally competitive aerospace and defence industrial ecosystem.

Addressing the third edition of the Delhi Defence Dialogue 2026, organised by the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) in New Delhi, his virtual address formed part of Session VIII of the two-day conference, which was devoted to defence co-development collaborations. The session was chaired by Lieutenant General (Retd) Subrata Saha, former Deputy Chief of Army Staff and former member of the National Security Advisory Board.

Dr Lall’s participation was particularly significant given his position at the intersection of the American aerospace and defence industry and international strategic technology partnerships. General Atomics has extensive expertise in unmanned aircraft systems, advanced aerospace technologies, sensors and other defence-related technologies.

The focus of his scheduled address was closely aligned with India’s evolving defence cooperation strategy, which seeks to move beyond conventional arms purchases and licensed manufacturing towards joint development, manufacturing and technology partnerships with major international defence companies.

India-US defence cooperation: Moving beyond buyer-seller relationships

The central policy context of Dr Lall’s address was India’s effort to transform its defence relationship with the US from one largely characterised by procurement and technology acquisition into a more comprehensive industrial and technological partnership.

Over the past decade, India-US defence cooperation has expanded considerably, covering military exercises, intelligence sharing, maritime security, defence technology, aerospace and advanced military systems.

However, a significant challenge for India has been the limited extent of its participation in the design, development and ownership of some sophisticated defence technologies, Dr Lall observed adding the growing emphasis on co-development is intended to address this gap.

Under this approach, Indian and American companies would jointly identify technological requirements, undertake research and development, share manufacturing responsibilities and establish production facilities in India wherever commercially and strategically feasible.

Technology Acquisitions, Supply Chain and Subsystems

Such arrangements could also enable Indian companies to become part of international defence supply chains, providing opportunities to manufacture components and subsystems for global markets. The importance of this approach is particularly evident in complex defence programmes requiring substantial investments, specialised engineering capabilities and access to advanced technologies.

For India, said Dr Lall, the objective is not simply to manufacture foreign-designed equipment domestically but to progressively acquire the technological expertise necessary to design, modify, upgrade and maintain sophisticated military systems.

This is also consistent with the broader direction outlined in the Delhi Defence Dialogue’s concept note, which identifies co-development as an important instrument for reducing India’s dependence on imported critical technologies.

Unmanned aerial systems: A major opportunity for India-US collaboration

One of the most relevant areas of potential India-US defence cooperation is unmanned aerial systems (UAS), particularly Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) and High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) remotely piloted aircraft, Dr Lall said.

General Atomics is internationally recognised for its MQ-series unmanned aircraft, including the MQ-9 family, which has been deployed by the US and several other countries, and that these platforms have demonstrated the importance of persistent surveillance, intelligence gathering, reconnaissance, maritime domain awareness and precision-strike capabilities in contemporary military operations.

The highly advanced MQ 9 series remotely piloted Unmanned Aerial Systems are also being acquired by the Indian Air Force, Navy and Army, and pending deliveries, the Navy is already operating two MQ 9Bs on lease.

For India, unmanned aircraft have acquired increasing significance because of the country’s extensive land borders, maritime responsibilities and expanding security commitments across the Indian Ocean Region. These platforms, modified to Indian specifications, are capable of conducting prolonged surveillance, monitoring maritime movements, gathering intelligence and supporting operational planning.

The potential areas of India-US cooperation, observed Dr Vivek Lall, include:

• Long-endurance surveillance: Developing capabilities for persistent monitoring of India’s land borders and maritime approaches.
• Maritime domain awareness: Strengthening surveillance over the Indian Ocean Region and important sea lines of communication.
• Advanced sensors: Integrating electro-optical, infrared, radar and other surveillance technologies.
• Autonomous operations: Developing artificial intelligence-enabled systems for mission planning, data processing and operational support.
• Local manufacturing: Expanding Indian participation in the manufacture of airframes, subsystems, ground-control equipment and associated technologies.
• Maintenance and sustainment: Establishing domestic facilities for repairs, upgrades, servicing and lifecycle support.

The development of indigenous expertise in these areas would also provide opportunities for Indian private-sector manufacturers and startups.

Dr Lall laid stress on the distinction between the manufacture of a foreign-origin unmanned aircraft in India and the development of indigenous capabilities in its critical technologies. The latter would be necessary to ensure long-term technological independence.

General Atomics-L&T partnership and the manufacturing dimension

Dr Lall’s address on India-US co-development also needs to be viewed in the background of General Atomics’ existing industrial engagement with India.

In October 2025, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) announced a partnership with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) to manufacture Medium Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems in India.

The collaboration combines L&T’s engineering, precision manufacturing and systems-integration capabilities with GA-ASI’s expertise in unmanned aircraft technology. This partnership is positioned as an important step towards strengthening India’s domestic aerospace manufacturing capabilities and supporting the country’s self-reliance objectives.

Dr Lall had described the collaboration as an opportunity to combine General Atomics’ established unmanned aircraft technology with India’s manufacturing capabilities.

The arrangement is significant because it illustrates how foreign defence companies can work with Indian industrial partners to develop manufacturing capabilities within the country.

The collaboration, said Dr Lall, could potentially support India’s participation in the production of advanced unmanned aircraft and related systems, subject to programme requirements, procurement decisions and applicable technology-sharing arrangements.

Significantly, it also demonstrates the potential of combining American technological expertise with India’s expanding engineering and manufacturing base.

For India, the larger objective would be to move progressively from assembly and manufacturing towards greater participation in engineering design, subsystem development, testing, certification and technology upgrades.

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Unmanned Warfare

Another important dimension of India-US defence technology cooperation is the growing integration of Artificial Intelligence into military systems.

The rapid evolution of autonomous platforms is changing the operational requirements of modern armed forces, Dr Lall pointed out, but stressed both the manned and unmanned aircraft would be required in the complicated and dense electronic environment of today and beyond.

Unmanned aircraft however are increasingly being integrated with advanced sensors, automated mission-management systems, real-time data processing and secure communications, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can improve the capability of unmanned platforms to process large volumes of information, identify potential threats, support surveillance missions and assist human operators in decision-making.

For India, developing these capabilities is particularly important in the context of emerging multi-domain warfare.

The future battlefield will increasingly involve the coordinated employment of manned aircraft, unmanned systems, ground-based sensors, satellites, electronic warfare platforms and command-and-control networks.

The ability to integrate these systems into a common operational architecture will determine their effectiveness.

India-US collaboration could therefore extend beyond the manufacture of unmanned aircraft to include:

• AI-enabled surveillance and intelligence systems.
• Autonomous navigation and mission-management technologies.
• Secure data links and advanced communications.
• Sensor fusion and real-time battlefield information.
• Manned-unmanned teaming capabilities.
• Counter-drone technologies and electronic warfare.

These areas also offer opportunities for Indian technology companies, startups and research institutions to participate in the development of advanced defence solutions.

Such collaboration would be particularly relevant as India seeks to develop its own unmanned combat aerial vehicles and autonomous military systems.

Co-development of critical technologies and intellectual property sharing

A particularly important aspect of India’s emerging defence partnerships is the question of intellectual property rights (IPR) and technology ownership.

For decades, India’s defence procurement relationship with several foreign suppliers was characterised by the purchase of complete systems, licensed production and varying degrees of technology transfer.

While these arrangements contributed to domestic manufacturing capabilities, they did not always provide Indian companies with sufficient control over the underlying technologies.

The transition towards co-development requires a different framework.

Indian companies must have meaningful participation in the design and development process, with clearly defined arrangements concerning intellectual property, manufacturing rights, technology access and future upgrades.

This is particularly important in high-value defence programmes, where the ability to independently maintain and modernise military systems is critical to operational preparedness.

The Delhi Defence Dialogue’s concept note specifically identifies reasonable work-sharing arrangements, IPR-sharing mechanisms and domestic production of critical systems as essential considerations in international co-development partnerships.

For India, these arrangements would determine whether collaborations result in genuine technological advancement or remain limited to domestic manufacturing of foreign-designed equipment.

Strategic significance for the Indo-Pacific

India-US defence co-development also has a wider geopolitical dimension.

Both countries have an interest in maintaining a stable and secure Indo-Pacific region, particularly in view of increasing maritime competition, the protection of critical sea lanes and the security of regional infrastructure.

India’s geographical position gives it a significant role in maintaining maritime security across the Indian Ocean, while the US possesses extensive technological and operational capabilities in the aerospace and maritime domains.

Cooperation in unmanned surveillance platforms, maritime reconnaissance, communications and advanced sensors could strengthen their respective capabilities.

For India, indigenous manufacturing and maintenance of advanced unmanned platforms would also improve its ability to undertake sustained surveillance operations without excessive dependence on external support.

At the same time, a stronger Indian defence industrial base could create opportunities for supplying equipment and services to friendly countries in the Indo-Pacific and other regions.

The relationship is therefore not limited to the acquisition of military equipment. It has the potential to develop into a broader strategic industrial partnership involving technology, manufacturing, research and regional security.

India’s ambition to become a global defence manufacturing hub

The larger significance of Dr Lall’s scheduled keynote lies in the changing nature of India’s defence industrial ambitions.

The government has increasingly sought to position India as a manufacturing and technology-development partner for international defence companies.

The Delhi Defence Dialogue 2026, held on November 3-4, was organised around the theme of defence reforms, Aatmanirbharta (Self-reliance), co-development collaborations and exports.

Its concept note identifies the development of advanced propulsion systems, aerospace technologies, naval platforms, missile systems and defence innovation as priority areas.

It also highlights the importance of identifying structural and regulatory barriers that affect domestic manufacturing and international partnerships.

For India, the challenge will be to ensure that foreign collaborations contribute to the development of indigenous research and development capabilities, rather than simply expanding the domestic assembly of imported systems.

To a question by India Strategic if the emergence and strengthening of AI technologies could someday overtake the manned aircraft, Dr Lall replied:

“As you can see in the various conflicts around the world, increased use of unmanned systems will continue to evolve. It is now at the bleeding edge of technologies where, as you know, in the United States Air Force, they have the first unmanned fighter aircraft, which we have got a production contract for.

So I think unmanned technologies are the future. That is not to say it is either or. I think it will be a manned, unmanned teaming scenario moving forward. But certainly the technologies with AI and quantum science and so forth, the technologies are evolving in leaps and bounds. So the role of unmanned aircraft will gain in terms of its share of the operations in different conflict scenarios.

From Defence Procurement to Technology Partnerships

India is increasingly seeking partnerships that provide access not only to advanced military equipment but also to the underlying technologies, engineering expertise and manufacturing capabilities required to develop and sustain them, said Dr Lall, the potential areas of cooperation extend from unmanned aerial systems and artificial intelligence to advanced sensors, aerospace technologies, autonomous platforms and integrated surveillance networks.

For General Atomics, India represents an important potential industrial and strategic partner, given its expanding defence market, engineering capabilities and ambition to develop an indigenous aerospace industry.

For India, the central consideration will be the extent to which such partnerships strengthen domestic technological capabilities, create opportunities for Indian manufacturers and provide greater control over critical defence technologies.

Ultimately, the success of India-US defence co-development, he said, will depend not merely on the number of joint manufacturing agreements signed but on the depth of technology sharing, Indian participation in design and development, intellectual property arrangements and the ability to independently sustain the resulting systems.

That is the larger strategic context in which Dr Lall’s contribution to the Delhi Defence Dialogue should be understood.