IG Defence, Oman’s MSA Global explore production of drone systems

India’s IG Defence and Oman-based MSA Global have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore the co-development and local manufacture of drone and counter-drone systems for Oman and the wider Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The agreement links India’s defence-export ambitions with Gulf security concerns, but remains exploratory and does not confirm an order, factory or deployment.

Reuters reported in October that Iran and allied groups had carried out at least 135 drone and missile attacks against 84 infrastructure sites across Gulf Arab states since the United States and Israel began bombing Iran in February.

“The evolving security environment in the Gulf reinforces the importance of strengthening indigenous defence capabilities and developing resilient regional manufacturing ecosystems,” MSA Global chairman Col M. S. Atwal (Retd.) said.

The MoU was exchanged during the India-Oman Defence Industry Cooperation Seminar in Muscat in October. India and Oman already have established defence ties, including joint exercises involving all three branches of India’s armed forces.

IG Defence, formerly known as IG Drones, said discussions will cover three systems. KAL is described by the company as a one-way attack unmanned aerial system with a stated range of up to 1,000 kilometres. BAJ is an unmanned aerial interceptor intended for counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) use, while JWALA is a micro-missile system under development for counter-drone applications.

“Our partnership with MSA Global reflects our vision of taking India's indigenous defence technologies to global markets through strategic industrial collaboration,” IG Defence Chief Executive Officer Bodhisattwa Sanghapriya said.

The agreement comes as India’s defence exports reached Rs 23,622 crore in the 2024-25 financial year, up 12.04% from the previous year. On October 26, India also approved in principle Rs 2,12,000 crore in military acquisitions, including counter-drone systems and long-range attack drones.

Other companies are responding to similar demand. In May, France’s CS Group won a NATO contract to supply two counter-drone systems for its Brussels headquarters. In August, US firm Powerus announced a separate contract for counter-drone technology to protect Middle Eastern energy infrastructure.