Engineering Brilliance: BITS Pilani Students Build Radar-Free Drones, Hired By Indian Army

With drone warfare replacing conventional roles, armies across the globe are increasingly focussed on adopting UAVs and making them a part of their combat program.

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A group of engineering students from BITS Pilani has caught the attention of the Indian Army after successfully developing radar-free kamikaze drones, right from their college hostel rooms. The students, who were part of an independent drone research team, started working on the project in late 2023. With no formal funding initially, the team equipped  personal resources, worked late nights, and transformed their hostel space into a makeshift lab. What began as a passion project to experiment with drone technologies has now become a defence breakthrough.

The drones, which function as loitering munitions, are designed to evade radar detection and hit targets with precision. These kamikaze drones, so-called because they are designed to crash into targets with explosive payloads are small, silent, and equipped with AI-guided navigation systems. What sets them apart is their ability to avoid radar and operate in GPS-denied environments. 

Once the prototype was complete, the students showcased it at a university demo, which happened to be attended by visiting army officials. Impressed by the performance and cost-efficiency, the Indian Army initiated talks and has now offered placements to some of the team members, as well as support for large-scale development of the drones under military supervision.

A final-year engineering student involved in the project said, “We never imagined our hostel experiment would end up on the Indian Army’s radar quite literally. It's surreal.”

Faculty members at BITS Pilani have appreciated the students for their innovation and discipline.  The Indian Army, while not disclosing full technical details, confirmed the collaboration and praised the students for their ingenuity and tactical vision.