India’s Micro-Missile JWALA Marks Key Milestone with Successful Solid Rocket Motor Test
IG Defence successfully test-fires two solid rocket motors as it advances its indigenous private micro-missile and Counter-UAS capability
New Delhi, Oct 3, 2026. IG Defence has successfully test-fired two solid rocket motors under its JWALA micro-missile programme, marking a significant milestone in the company’s efforts to develop an indigenous, affordable and scalable hard-kill Counter-UAS capability.
The test was successfully conducted at approximately 04:00 Hours, advancing JWALA towards its objective of providing a cost-effective interceptor capability against hostile drones.
JWALA is India’s first indigenously developed private micro-missile programme, focused on creating a robust, affordable and scalable hard-kill Counter-UAS system to neutralise drones.
The growing use of drones in modern conflicts has created a new challenge for air defence. The ability to deploy large numbers of relatively inexpensive unmanned systems has increased the importance of affordable countermeasures and adequate missile magazine depth.
JWALA is being developed to address this requirement by providing an indigenous micro-missile capability that can complement existing layers of air defence and enable the engagement of drone threats at scale.
“The drone threat is evolving rapidly, and Counter-UAS systems must evolve with it. There is a growing need for affordable interceptors that can be produced and deployed in meaningful numbers. JWALA is being developed with exactly this requirement in mind. This successful propulsion test is an important milestone towards building an indigenous hard-kill capability for the evolving drone threat.”
— Wing Commander Anoop Sharma (Retd.), AVP, IG Defence
GRID Defend: AI-Powered Mission Management
JWALA is being developed as part of IG Defence’s broader GRID ecosystem, its AI-powered Battle Management System designed to connect sensors, effectors and command systems.
GRID Defend is designed to enable an integrated Counter-UAS response by bringing together detection, identification, tracking, threat assessment and engagement management within a common operational architecture.
The system is designed to support the autonomous execution of authorised Counter-UAS missions. GRID can process information from multiple sensors, build a common operational picture, identify and track aerial threats, assess the developing situation and coordinate an appropriate available effector.
This creates a sensor-to-shooter architecture in which JWALA provides the hard-kill interceptor while GRID provides the intelligence and mission-management layer.
“We are not building JWALA as a standalone missile. We are building it as part of an intelligent defence architecture. GRID is designed to bring sensors, AI, command and effectors together so that the system can autonomously execute authorised Counter-UAS missions from detection to engagement. JWALA becomes the hard-kill effect, while GRID provides the brain that coordinates the mission.”
— Bodhisattwa Sanghapriya, Founder & CEO, IG Defence
The combination of an affordable interceptor with an AI-enabled battle management system is intended to address one of the fundamental challenges of modern Counter-UAS operations: defending against large numbers of increasingly capable and affordable drones without relying exclusively on high-cost defensive effectors.
The successful solid rocket motor test represents an important step in the JWALA programme as IG Defence continues development of indigenous propulsion, interceptor and Counter-UAS technologies.
The company will continue the development and testing of JWALA with a focus on system maturity, reliability, manufacturability and scalability.
