Deadline: 26-May-2026
The ANRF MAHA Drones: Components & Sub-Assemblies Research & Innovation Program is launched by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
The program aims to strengthen India’s drone ecosystem by promoting indigenous development of critical components and reducing dependence on imported technologies. It focuses on building a complete innovation-driven supply chain for drone systems.
Core Mission and Strategic Goals
The program is designed to:
- Transition India from an assembly-based drone ecosystem to an innovation-driven ecosystem
- Develop indigenous drone components and subsystems across the full technology stack
- Reduce strategic dependence on imported drone technologies
- Strengthen dual-use capabilities for defence and civilian applications
- Accelerate commercialization of advanced drone technologies (TRL-7 level within 3 years)
- Build national capability in critical unmanned systems technologies
Key Technology Focus Areas
The program supports research and innovation in the following domains:
Propulsion and Energy Systems
- Advanced lithium-ion battery cells
- Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells
- High-efficiency propulsion technologies
Airframe and Materials
- Smart materials and adaptive airframes
- Morphing wing structures
- Self-healing composite materials
Navigation and Autonomy
- NavIC-enabled GNSS receivers
- Advanced autonomous navigation systems
- Swarm intelligence and multi-drone coordination
Communication and Positioning Systems
- Secure and resilient communication systems
- Robust positioning technologies
- Anti-jamming and encrypted data links
Sensors and Payloads
- LiDAR-on-chip sensors
- Hyperspectral imaging systems
- EO-IR (Electro-Optical / Infrared) camera payloads
- Bio-secure medical payload carriers
Safety and Regulatory Systems
- UAV parachute recovery systems
- Emergency identifier hardware modules
- Unmanned traffic management systems
- Certification and flight safety systems
Program Objectives
The initiative aims to:
- Build indigenous drone technology capabilities in India
- Develop end-to-end drone components and sub-assemblies
- Enable high-TRL (Technology Readiness Level 7) demonstrators
- Strengthen R&D-to-industry technology transfer
- Support scalable manufacturing ecosystems
- Enhance national security and industrial resilience
- Foster collaboration between academia, startups, and industry
Funding Details
- Maximum funding per project: up to ₹50 crore
- Project duration: up to 3 years
- Funding type: Consortium-based research and innovation support
- Focus: Development of deployable, commercialisable drone technologies (TRL-7)
Eligible Applicants
Funding is open to consortium-based proposals involving:
- Academic institutions
- National research laboratories
- Recognised and registered startups
- MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises)
- Section-8 companies
- DSIR-SIRO recognised organisations
- Industry partners
Mandatory Consortium Requirements
Each proposal must include:
- At least one industry partner and/or startup
- A clear collaboration framework across organisations
- A defined plan for technology translation and commercialization
Lead Principal Investigator (PI) Eligibility
The Lead PI must:
- Hold a regular position in an academic institution, national laboratory, or DSIR-SIRO recognised organisation
- Possess a PhD in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, or related disciplines
- Have at least 3 years of service remaining before superannuation
- Be an Indian citizen or OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) holder
Expected Outcomes
Funded projects are expected to deliver:
- TRL-7 level commercialisable drone technologies
- Indigenous drone component prototypes and systems
- Industry-ready sub-assemblies and modules
- Reduced import dependence in critical technologies
- Strong academia-industry research collaboration models
- Deployable systems for defence and civilian use cases
How the Program Works
The program typically follows these stages:
- Formation of eligible consortium with required partners
- Submission of detailed research and innovation proposal
- Evaluation by ANRF and partner agencies
- Selection based on innovation, feasibility, and impact
- Funding allocation up to ₹50 crore per project
- Multi-year execution (up to 3 years)
- Development of prototypes and demonstrators
- Transition toward commercialization and deployment
Key Focus Areas
The program prioritizes:
- Indigenous technology development
- Drone system autonomy and intelligence
- Critical component manufacturing
- Defence and civilian dual-use applications
- High-impact research translation
- National technological self-reliance
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid:
- Submitting single-institution proposals (consortium is mandatory)
- Missing required industry/startup participation
- Weak or undefined commercialization pathway
- Lack of TRL progression plan toward level 7
- Inadequate alignment with listed technology domains
- Eligibility mismatch for Lead PI or partners
Tips for a Strong Application
To improve success chances:
- Build a strong multi-sector consortium (academia + industry + startup)
- Clearly define technology gaps and innovation novelty
- Provide a realistic TRL advancement roadmap
- Demonstrate strong commercialization and deployment strategy
- Focus on indigenous capability creation
- Align project strongly with listed drone technology domains
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the ANRF MAHA Drones Program?
- It is an Indian national initiative for developing indigenous drone technologies.
- It focuses on components, subsystems, and innovation-driven drone ecosystems.
- It aims to reduce import dependence in critical drone technologies.
- What is the funding amount?
- Up to ₹50 crore per project
- Over a duration of up to 3 years
- Based on consortium-based evaluation
- Who can apply?
- Academic institutions
- Research laboratories
- Startups and MSMEs
- Industry partners
- DSIR-SIRO recognised organisations
- Is collaboration mandatory?
- Yes, consortium-based proposals are required
- Must include at least one industry or startup partner
- What is the expected outcome level?
- Technology Readiness Level 7 (TRL-7)
- Commercialisable and deployable drone technologies
- Who can be the Lead PI?
- Senior researchers with PhD qualifications
- Must be in eligible institutions or labs
- Must have at least 3 years of service remaining
Conclusion
The ANRF MAHA Drones Program is a strategic national initiative aimed at transforming India’s drone ecosystem into a self-reliant, innovation-driven sector. By funding large-scale consortium projects in critical drone technologies, it supports indigenous development, strengthens industrial capability, and accelerates the transition from research to deployable systems.
For more information, visit ICMR.
