ideaForge says it can bid for most new defence UAV programmes

ideaForge Technology Limited said on November 3, 2026 that it should be able to bid for the majority of recently approved defence unmanned aerial vehicle programmes, as a Rs 20,000 crore fast-track procurement pipeline advances. The opportunity set is central to replacing an order book that stood at Rs 202.2 crore on September 30 after deliveries.

Can ideaForge bid for most newly approved defence UAV programmes?

Yes. ideaForge said it should be able to bid for the majority of programmes covered by recent approvals, although eligibility, product fit and award timing will vary by tender. Management cited Defence Acquisition Council approvals worth Rs 2.12 lakh crore that include long-range unmanned aircraft systems, surveillance UAVs, integrated surveillance-and-strike systems and long-range kamikaze drone systems.

ideaForge also said it will not participate in every fast-track procurement opportunity. Some opportunities involve jet-based, long-range one-way attack systems for which it did not have a ready product to bid, while other recent approvals are more aligned with its portfolio. Management said it saw the possibility of participation in one or more opportunities, with some submission deadlines still open.

The company’s short-term combat focus is on multi-rotor-led loitering munition systems. Where an opportunity requires intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR, as part of an integrated solution, ideaForge said it may partner with companies that provide other platform types. It said it could bid independently where its ISR and loitering-munition systems meet the customer requirement.

What is happening in the Rs 20,000 crore fast-track pipeline?

The Rs 20,000 crore fast-track procurement, or FTP, opportunity set is a collection of multiple programmes rather than a single contract. Management said requests for proposal, or RFPs, for about two or three opportunities were already out on November 3, while RFPs for a few additional opportunities were expected in the coming quarter.

The first tender was at an advanced evaluation stage, according to management. ideaForge said it had already bid for one RFP, but did not identify the programme or disclose its value. The pipeline covers established ISR and mapping platforms as well as combat UAV categories, making tender-specific product readiness material to its potential participation.

Management said RFPs generally emerge within a quarter of an approval, although the full procurement process could take six months or a year depending on the specific opportunity. It added that programmes reaching Defence Acquisition Council or Defence Procurement Board levels are typically larger than the Vice Chief’s delegated powers and are more likely to be in four-digit crores than three-digit crores.

How is ideaForge preparing products for these tenders?

ideaForge is preparing relevant platforms for procurement programmes and plans customer field trials for combat systems in H2 FY '27. Its combat development includes air-launched effects, loitering munitions, one-way attack systems, long-range strike platforms, targeting and autonomous hunter-killer configurations, using in-house development and strategic partnerships.

ZOLT Hybrid is the most advanced new platform management discussed for commercial opportunities in FY '27. In field testing, the platform demonstrated ISR capability of up to 100 kilometres and more than six hours of flight time with an advanced ISR payload and electronic-warfare resilience. Management said ZOLT Hybrid is being fielded for commercial opportunities this financial year and will move through productionisation during the rest of the year.

ideaForge launched the ZOLT UCAV variant in October, adding tactical combat roles including air-launched precision effects to the ZOLT platform. It also said it had received, and probably delivered, orders for an electric ZOLT variant with about 50 kilometres of operating range and lower flight time. New variants are being prepared for Make programmes and FTP opportunities.

YETI is on a different timetable from ZOLT Hybrid. The logistics UAV, designed around a 100-kilogram payload over 100 kilometres, remains in early flight testing for engineering data collection, and management expects development to continue into the coming financial year. ideaForge has an Rs 151 crore Technology Development Board debt facility for a YETI programme, matched by an equal company contribution and drawn against milestones.

Why does the procurement pipeline matter for ideaForge’s order book?

The pipeline matters because ideaForge’s closing order book declined to Rs 202.2 crore on September 30 from Rs 256.8 crore in Q1 FY '27 as it delivered existing contracts. Management said it executed more than 50% of the opening FY '27 order book in H1, making fresh orders a priority as the company moves through the remaining backlog.

Financial execution improved during the same period. H1 FY '27 revenue from operations reached Rs 159.9 crore, compared with Rs 53.5 crore in H1 FY '26, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, or EBITDA, turned to a Rs 27.5 crore profit from a Rs 23.1 crore loss. Profit after tax was Rs 3.9 crore, compared with a Rs 43.2 crore loss a year earlier.

Management said the balance of the order book carried from the prior year should conclude in Q3 FY '27. Orders added during the current year may extend into Q4, while about Rs 200 crore of the order book is expected to be executed in the second half, apart from limited spare supplies linked to warranties. Defence accounted for a significant majority of the Rs 202.2 crore order book, without a disclosed exact split.

What other channels could produce orders for ideaForge?

Command-level procurement could provide an additional route to orders because the Delegation of Financial Powers to Defence Services 2026 gives field commanders enhanced purchasing powers. Management expects more activity at the command level than in the past, but said approvals, evaluations and awards remain outside ideaForge’s control.

ideaForge is also pursuing civil, government, enterprise and international opportunities. During Q2 FY '27, its UAVs were used by law-enforcement agencies for artificial-intelligence-enabled crowd monitoring at large religious gatherings, and it conducted product demonstrations for prospective customers in South America. Management said expected Global South outcomes could include civil as well as defence business.

The company is developing technology intended to address current operating requirements. During the quarter, it progressed higher-antenna-count controlled reception pattern antenna configurations for jamming resistance and navigation approaches combining inertial navigation, visual simultaneous localisation and mapping, and satellite-image matching. It said these efforts draw on customer experience from more than 1 million flights.

Conclusion

ideaForge’s statement that it can bid for most recent defence approvals identifies a route to replenishing its Rs 202.2 crore order book, not a forecast of orders. The company is taking a selective approach across the Rs 20,000 crore FTP set, using its own ISR and multi-rotor loitering systems where they fit and partnerships where integrated solutions need other platforms or specialist munitions expertise.

The next items to watch are RFPs expected after recent approvals, planned H2 FY '27 customer field trials for combat platforms and completion of prior-year order-book execution in Q3 FY '27. Management also expects bidding opportunities in Q3 and the first part of Q4, while the tender-award timetable remains dependent on each procurement process.